


Unpredicted

by aleatoryEpiphany



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:20:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 43,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11851464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleatoryEpiphany/pseuds/aleatoryEpiphany
Summary: Who would have predicted that soft-spoken, quiet, bookish Albus Severus Potter would suddenly up and decide that his first friend outside of his family would be Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy? No one, that's who. Updated Sundays.





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is a fairly short story (only six chapters) and will not really go into much depth of how things get developed after the first school year because it just didn’t want to be written that way. I hope you enjoy it. This will be updated once a week (every Sunday).

**C** **hapter One**

“The Sorting Hat will take your choice into account.”

Those were the most wonderful words he had ever heard in his life, thought Albus Severus Potter, as he walked out of the compartment he was sharing with his family. James' teasing was getting to be too much; plus Albus Severus felt the need to think hard about this new information. He knew that Rose would take care of Loki (his ferret that was half Jarvey) while he was gone. Rose had told Albus Severus, right before he left, that it didn't matter what House he got sorted into, because it would be where he belonged. Of course, people always said that, but now he had a choice, and that made him think. What he _wanted_ made a difference.

If he belonged in Slytherin, did he **really** want to get sorted into Gryffindor? After all, he would have to deal with his brother's teasing that much more often, about how he wasn't suited to being in Gryffindor. He was too quiet, and sly, and sneaky, and read too much. If he asked to be in Gryffindor, or even Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, he would have to live with being in a House that he might not be best suited to for the next seven years. Of course, he didn't want to make anyone mad at him, either. He hated it when people were angry or upset, especially directed towards him. But his dad and mum and Aunt Hermione and Rose and Uncle George would all support him, no matter _what_ James or Uncle Ron said.

Really, all he wanted was to be where he could finally belong. Where he was supposed to be. To be accepted as he was. He’d never really fit in with most of his family, as much as both parties tried. He was too quiet and composed, unlike the enormous lot of rambunctious Gryffindors that the Weasleys were composed of. His dad was the quietest person in the family, and as such they were exceptionally close, but even he could yell and wrestle with the best of them. Albus Severus was still a part of the family, still included... But he was more likely to be in a hidden corner with a book, or a stack of parchment and quills, than out playing games with the rest of the gang. And when anyone other than his parents, Aunt Hermione, Uncle George, or Rose found him, they would all try to get him to socialise, even though he clearly didn't want to. That didn't sound like it left many people to bother him, but there were an _enormous_ lot of Weasleys.

They were just too loud. Noise hurt. His hearing was so sensitive it was disabling, and he strongly associated yelling with being angry – which often meant he left family arguments or even friendly debates and competitions in tears and nearly panicking because one, it hurt, and two, he was freaking out over emotions that weren't necessarily present. (His dad blamed Uncle Ron for that, Uncle Ron got really loud when he was angry and Uncle Ron's temper was a frightening thing to witness.)

Albus Severus sighed as a lock of black hair fell into his face, and he brushed it behind his ear, looking around. He was standing alone in the middle of one of the last cars… It was time to find an empty compartment. Standing in the middle of the train and being lost in thought was not a smart thing to do. He found one surprisingly easily, and ducked into it; just in time for a group of people to come into the car, their voices raised in argument.

He heard some fairly degrading terms through the compartment door, and heard a tussle begin, before covering his ears to block the noise out as best he could. His siblings and cousins might have gone out there to stop the fight but Albus Severus was anything but _stupid_. A scrawny first year interfering in a fight, or worse, bullying, which this sounded like, was a recipe for disaster.

Suddenly the door opened and someone ducked into the compartment, and locked the door with a spell, even though magic wasn't allowed outside of school. (Not that that had stopped his dad from teaching them it anyway in case they got mobbed or kidnapped, but _still_.) The people who had come into the car soon became louder and angrier and eventually left, which left Albus Severus and his unwitting companion alone.

He took a good look at the boy across from him, who looked to be his age. His hair was platinum blonde, his eyes were a surprising silver-grey that had hints of blue hidden within the depths, and his skin was milky looking; pale, smooth, and well taken care of. It only took a moment to recognise him, and Albus knew exactly who he was, from overhearing his uncle Ron instructing Rose on a rivalry or something with him. Aunt Hermione had chided Uncle Ron, however, so it must mean that this boy was okay to be around and talk to, no matter what _anyone_ said.

No matter what anyone said…

Suddenly, he came to a decision. It didn't matter what happened. Albus Severus Potter was not his father, or his mother, or his brother, or anyone else except _himself_. He wouldn't ask the Hat to be put into Gryffindor. He would only ask to be where he belonged; he wouldn't abandon his values or what courage he had just because he might get sorted into a different house than Gryffindor. With that decided, he smiled brightly at the pale boy and held out his hand, his green eyes sparkling with determination. Today he would take his first step out of the shadow of his father. This boy would be his first new friend, if he could put aside his propensity to stay silent and instead speak up, for once, and assuming the paler boy was willing. Somehow, without the pressure and noise of his family around him, he found speaking up to be surprisingly easy.

“Hello, I'm Albus Severus Potter. My uncle Ron doesn't like your father, but my aunt Hermione told him off for telling Rose to be your rival or something, so you must be okay to have as a friend and I would really like you to be my first friend here.”

The boy (Malfoy was his last name, for sure, but Albus didn't know his first name) looked up, his grey eyes wide with shock and what might have been amusement, and after a few moments of contemplation he took the hand in front of him with a firm grip. “I'm Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. My father doesn't like your uncle either, but he didn't mention whether or not I was to avoid you, which, I suppose, means that we can be friends. You're named after someone my father looks up to, after all.”

Albus Severus grinned, feeling relieved. He had made his first human friend who was not also a family member! And Scorpius seemed nice. At first glance, he was soft-spoken, just like Albus Severus was, and he didn't seem to be shy, only quiet. Again, just like Albus Severus was. “I usually tell people to call me by both of my names, because it feels right that way, but you can call me whatever you want, I don't mind. Can I call you Score, or would you rather I call you Scorpius, or do you prefer both of your names?”

“I've never had a nickname, but you may call me Score, if you must. Your second name is the name of someone whom my father really admires, did you know that? He calls the portrait we have of him, 'Uncle Sev' and Uncle Sev always grumbles about impropriety, but then he smiles, just a bit, so I call him that too. I'll call you Al though, even though I think Severus is a much better name than Albus, because otherwise it could get quite confusing.”

Albus Severus smiled and nodded, and immediately began abusing the nickname he had just gotten permission to use, turning the conversation to school and what they thought would happen there.

\- - -

Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was besieged the very first moment he was recognised on the train. At first it was with pure-blooded children of acquaintances of his father, all of whom wanted to be his friend because of his family status. His father had advised him to make real friends first (and then gave him a list of people who he should avoid, as well as those who were not suitable as friends but would be good to make alliances with. The Potter and Weasley children were surprisingly absent from said lists), and then allow the people begging for his acquaintance to become peons. Scorpius didn't like that word, but supposed it was better than “hangers-on”, “toadies”, or “followers”, although “minions” was by far the best term – but it sounded sort of malevolent and he wanted to wait until he was comfortable in school before using that term.

After he managed to ditch the annoying students, he ran into people who were nearly the exact opposite, and this time he was running in fear, not out of disdain. He was not his father. And even if he was, his father was never a Death Eater, not _really_. Scorpius had long ago decided that **intent** was the important thing, and if someone was forced into something, then they did not deserve to be categorised with the people who did it wholly willingly. His father had told him about the past, and he knew that his father had never been fully willing, and anything he said otherwise was necessary bravado.

Scorpius' father had never **ever** lied to him, and when a young Scorpius had asked the portrait of Uncle Sev, just to be sure, his father's words had been corroborated. His choices were that, or death, and the death of his family as well. Which meant that, in Scorpius' mind, his father was innocent of being a Death Eater. But even if that hadn't been the case, Scorpius was still not his _father_. It didn't seem to matter though – no matter how much he said that, these people insisted on terrorizing him.

It was a good thing he was younger and smaller then all of them, and that his father had taught him certain spells to use for defence, one of which was good for hiding and staying hidden. (His father had a “back-up” wand that he reserved strictly for Scorpius to use, although it belonged to his father – so Scorpius knew magic that, by all rights, he should not be able to use, not having attended school yet.) So as soon as they had pushed him into another train car, he had waited for them to begin fighting amongst themselves. Then he had hidden himself, rushed into a silent compartment, and locked it. Using his father's “back-up” wand, of course, which he would Owl back to his father as soon as classes started on Monday, unless his father changed his mind (he'd said he might) and decided to have Scorpius keep it for emergencies.

He had almost thought that his timely escape was a curse, instead of a blessing, when he saw those bloody brilliant green eyes staring out at him from a face he knew all too well. Everyone knew who Harry Potter was, and his youngest son seemed to be practically identical, even down to the almond-shaped eyes, light but not pale skin, and messy black hair.

Then, for the first time (and what certainly would not be the last time, from the feel of things) the Potter boy surprised him, offering his hand in friendship with a short, quiet, and frank speech. Scorpius decided then and there that he would take the opportunity to be less like his father, to be his own person, and accepted it. He figured that at least here was someone who wouldn't judge him, especially not if they were the one offering a hand in friendship. Something about the Potter boy told Scorpius that he wouldn't abuse any trust given him.

Albus Severus Potter was a lot like Scorpius, as they both soon discovered. Both of them were somewhat different from most of their family, quiet, enjoyed reading, loved Quidditch but would rather not play a game that could smash your skull in with a well-placed hit with a Bludger, and (most importantly) laboured under the assumptions other people had that they were their fathers.

“That's why I took your hand, honestly. Of course, I quite like you now, you're right smart, and not a smarmy git. But the first thing I thought was, 'here's one way to be less like my father. I have to take it.' I'm glad I did, really. I'm also glad that your name was not on my fathers list of people not to associate with, or the list of people who are not suitable as friends. I mean, really, if I wanted to badly enough I'd ignore the lists, but my father has good instinct with this sort of thing, and I trust him.”

The shocked look on Albus' face was priceless. “Your father gave you a list of people to _avoid_?”

Al made no mention of his thoughts on any of the words before then, which Scorpius was learning to interpret as “it isn't important”, or that Albus was thinking about it. In this case, Scorpius suspected the former. The darker boy didn't care why Scorpius had accepted the offer of friendship, only that he had done so. It was… Refreshing. Very much so. Not being judged just for being himself was undeniably pleasant. “Yes. Most of them are people who have grudges against my father, or vice versa. I was pretty surprised to find that there wasn't a single Potter or Weasley name on the list. My father doesn't talk about your parents or family, almost ever, but my grandfather does, and in a very derogatory way.”

“Well it doesn't matter. My uncle Ron is likely to have an apoplectic fit when he finds out that I'm friends with a Malfoy, and Rose'll probably be your friend too, which might cause him to have a heart-attack or an aneurysm. But it really doesn't matter because I want to be your friend. Oh! Speaking of! I need to go get Loki and my bags from Rose. Do you have any bags you would like me to get for you? I don't really think you should risk running into those stupid bullies again.”

Albus' voice when he said all of this was hesitant, but determined, and Scorpius had a feeling that while Albus was not really a leader, he was not really a follower, either. Scorpius (or Score, as he was becoming used to being called… The nickname was growing on him, not that he'd admit it to anyone) figured that he'd probably end up taking charge of situations more than Al, though. Unlike the middle Potter child, Scorpius was raised to be a _leader_ , after all. “All of my bags are in one of the baggage cars, even though it's undignified. My father figured I might end up having to ditch them, and my Owl is quite mean, it would be bad if she bit someone's finger off for trying to pet her or something.”

As an afterthought, Scorpius smirked and added, “Well, bad for the person whose finger got bitten off, anyhow.”

Al laughed at that, which made Scorpius feel highly gratified, and nodded, leaving the room and leaving Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy to wonder at what twist of fate had caused a Potter to befriend him, and to wonder where on earth this unexpected friendship would lead the both of them.

\- - -

Albus Severus made his way back to the other car and the other compartment, mostly ignoring everything around him. Scorpius was something he never thought he'd really find – a friend who was almost exactly like him in all the important ways. They had the same interests, even including Muggle music, which Score was aware of due to being in several types of music lessons from Muggleborn wizards. Draco Malfoy certainly seemed to be a different person from how Uncle Ron always portrayed him.

Score also thought that Quidditch was too dangerous to play, but enjoyed watching it, and they both thought that there should be a game involving only the two Seekers, in a contest of speed and agility, with no other people. Albus Severus had a bit more of a morbid sense of humour than most of his family, which he had always lamented, until now, that is. Because Score had almost the exact same sense of humour. Rose would not have laughed about someone's finger being bitten off. For that matter, James probably wouldn't have either, if only because “Malfoy” had said it.

All in all, Albus Severus was pretty freaking happy at the moment. And it continued on, even when his brother teased him again about landing in Slytherin while he grabbed his bag and Loki, and even when everyone pestered him as to where he had been, and even when they continued pestering him, only this time about where he was now going as well.

Being happy lasted up until one of the cousins grabbed his arm, and the yelling started, which meant that the anxiety and pain started as well. Yelling, yelling, why on earth was his family so damn loud?! He covered his ears to block out the unbearable noise, and screamed at them to just shut the hell up, they were being too loud, and he hated that they wouldn't leave him the hell alone when he asked for it. Where he had been and where he was going was none of their damn business and they needed to stop invading his privacy all the time because he _hated_ being interrogated over nothing! Everyone except for Rose had looked horrified as he said those things, and even Rose had looked concerned with his unexpected cursing.

He practically ran back to the compartment where Score was, dragging his luggage trolley behind him and holding Loki's cage at his side, and immediately collapsed on the floor, laughing so hard with relief from finally standing up for himself that he started crying. Then the crying became more serious as all of his fears came flooding back. His family hated him for being different. They'd all abandon him if he got sorted into Slytherin, which he probably would because he just wasn't like them. Worse, they'd all try to force him to stay away from his new friend, and then he would be all alone again.

Scorpius didn't say anything at first, he just looked at Albus Severus in a contemplating way. When he spoke, it was almost a whisper (Albus Severus had already told him about his hearing), and the soft tone was incredibly soothing. “I think you could use some chocolate. Here.”

Then he pulled out a huge bar of Honeydukes chocolate, and broke it in half, handing one half to Albus Severus, who took it after a moment. Of course, it was really exactly what he needed, and soon he was back in the seat across from Score, and they were chatting amicably. Loki was currently out of his cage, and dashing back and forth between Score and Albus Severus – which was amazing, because Loki did not generally like other people, he was beyond picky and didn't even like Uncle Charlie! Although sometimes Loki liked Lils, who was currently going through some sort of growth into herself right now. “Sorry about the scene… I finally told off my family, and I was quite loud, and I used the word hell twice, and the word damn once, which even Rose looked surprised at, and she knows how I feel about them invading my privacy and screaming and demanding answers. Then I just got scared for some reason even though really I was pretty bloody relieved that I finally got that out of my system.”

“Do you know what you were scared about?”

Albus Severus looked over at Score, his green eyes completely serious, bordering on worried, and spoke softly, “It might be stupid, but my brother has been teasing me for months about ending up in Slytherin. My dad says Severus Snape was a Slytherin, and that he was the bravest man he ever knew, and I shouldn't be worried, and that if I end up in Slytherin they will be lucky to have me. And honestly, right before I introduced myself to you I had decided to not worry, because the Sorting Hat doesn't make mistakes…”

\- - -

Scorpius decided to ignore propriety and manners and interrupt Albus, whose voice was getting softer and more hesitant, in part because he knew just what the other boy was going through, and felt like since he _knew_ , there was no point in forcing his new friend to thresh it out in such a manner. “Your family. You're worried about how they will react if you are sorted into Slytherin because they are all Gryffindors and you don't want to disappoint them. My grandfather threatened to disown me if I ended up in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, when I was only five. I'm pretty sure I'll end up in Ravenclaw or Slytherin though.”

Al looked up at that, and relief flooded his features. Scorpius suddenly realised that he might have been getting quieter because of the content matter affecting Scorpius, and the thought somehow made him smile. It really was nice to have someone who cared so much about his opinion that wasn't related or a house elf.

“You're not mad?”

Scorpius couldn't help but laugh at that, Al's thoughts echoing his own so closely. “Oh, no way. I know very well the reputation Slytherin has, and for you Slytherin is like Gryffindor to me. For what it's worth, I hope we end up in the same House, because it's nice to have a real friend. My father told me to make at least one good, true friend, before I let all the people who want to be my friend for the status become my peons. His exact word, I swear. I like minions better, but I think I had better not use that until third or fourth year.”

“Minions is a hundred, _thousand_ times better than peons, but I agree about waiting. Besides, if you don't use it at first, they'll have less reason to suspect you, yeah? And when you start using it they will already be too loyal to question it.”

Scorpius raised an eyebrow and smirked, but said nothing about how easily Al followed his train of thought. There was no reason to make him hysterical again, after all, so he kept quiet about it, but Score personally thought Al would be in Slytherin, easy. There wouldn't even be a choice other than that for him, the darker boy was clearly born for it, despite his demeanour and how he basically exuded innocence. Suddenly Loki, Al's ferret, dashed up his arm and the pale boy laughed, petting the soft, cream coloured fur. The ferret was fairly large, actually. “My father seems to have a love-hate relationship with ferrets. Uncle Sev says it's because a teacher turned him into one while he was in school.”

“My dad told me about that! Loki is actually half Jarvey, but he doesn't talk much to people he likes. He can be quite rude to people he doesn't like though, which happens to be most of my family. He likes my dad, Aunt Hermione, Uncle George, Rose, and sometimes Lily, and my mum hexed him the one time he insulted her, so he's quiet to them, but everyone else is fair game. It doesn't sound like much left for him to dislike, but there are _tons_ of Weasleys. Uncle Ron absolutely hates him,” he laughed.

Al grinned at Scorpius as he laughed, and didn't seem at all surprised with the next comment the blonde boy made. Scorpius could tell that Albus was thinking that he didn't really seem to be narcissistic (which was true, he wasn't narcissistic, the world revolved around far more than just himself), but he was a bit vain, which could have been annoying, but Score used it for humour a lot so far, even while being serious, so his new friend didn't mind his playful vanity at all. “Well, I think Loki has wonderful taste in people.”

“You _would_ think that.”

They both laughed, and as the train started to slow, realised that they were almost at their destination. Al grabbed his robe and pulled a clear, sealed bag with pieces of raw meat in it from the pocket, as if making sure it was there, then put it back in as he slid into the robe. He saw Scorpius' curious look and nodded a bit, “For the Thestrals.”

Scorpius' eyebrows went up, and he wondered silently what had happened to make Al be able to see the Thestrals, but didn't ask yet. Instead, he asked, “Split it with me?”

He knew that Al was wondering the same thing he was, but the other boy kept quiet as well, simply nodding as he gathered his items. Loki willingly crawled back into the cage, and Scorpius shook his head at that. Half Jarvey. Really, he should have suspected, when he first saw how large the ferret was, and how calm it seemed to be whilst caged up. Since he had no bags of his own, he took the cage, and Al just smiled at him as they hurriedly but calmly walked out of the compartment and towards the front of the train so as to avoid the rushes and crowds. When the train stopped, they were the first ones out, and they walked all the way to the back of the group of carriages, hoping to get one on their own.

\- - -

Albus Severus and Scorpius both watched the Thestrals in awe as they fed their two the bag of meat, piece by piece, and stroked the soft, leathery skin. “They're beautiful,” was all either of them said, both of them focusing on the animals, rather than their reasons for being able to see them. After that was done, both of them got into the carriage, neither speaking a word until the carriage had been loaded with the rest of their baggage and they were safely in the air. Scorpius' black Owl, Nascha Lilitu (“Nascha means 'owl' in Navajo, and Lilitu means 'of the night' in Sumerian. My father helped me pick it out,” he had explained, his silvery eyes quietly proud) seemed to not mind the presence of either Albus Severus or Loki, but she stayed asleep for most of the trip.

Scorpius was the one to ask first, unsurprisingly. “What happened? To make you be able to see them?”

Albus Severus didn't ask what Score meant. “It's really sort of silly. Most adults wouldn't think much of it, I suppose… I saw a Muggle hunter two years ago, in the forest near our house. My dad says he was a horrible excuse for a hunter, for many reasons, but mostly because he tried to kill a doe who was in season to have fawns, and also because he missed. He didn't kill her with the shot, and the doe got away, but I followed her. And I sat there with her as she bled to death, because I was lost by then, and alone, and I figured she probably was too, and I didn't want her to die that way. She had two fawns that I took care of for a year, actually.

“My dad found me, helped me bury her and find the fawns, and when that was done he helped me accept it all. I remember him telling Mum about it and she took my brother and sister over to Aunt Hermione's place, and then came back. They spent all weekend talking with me about it. Then he took me to see Thestrals one day a month later, and told me why I could see them.”

It didn't take long for Scorpius to respond, “I don't think it's silly. Death is death, no matter what form it is in. My grandfather threw a fit one day when I was really young, like five or so, because… Well, I don't know why, really. My father says that I'm more open, more emotional, and less cruel than he was when he was my age, and that it isn't a bad thing at all, but that Grandfather hates it. Anyway, Grandfather used Crucio and Avada Kevadra on a cat I was fond of. When my father found out about it he refused to let my grandfather see me again until he apologised.

“I'm sort of glad my grandfather hasn't apologised yet. It means that whenever he comes over I don't have to be anywhere near him. But my father didn't Obliviate me or anything, and he explained death to me, and like yours, helped me accept it. He never took me to see the Thestrals, but he did tell me about them and everything. Father says that death is a natural part of life, and should not be feared, even though it is sad sometimes.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, occasionally breaking it with a comment about the scenery, or a question about something random. Contrary to what he thought would happen, Albus Severus became increasingly _less_ worried as they neared the moment of decision. Part of it was undoubtedly because of his new-found friendship with Score, who had made it clear that Houses didn't matter, really. He would continue being Albus Severus' friend no matter what.

Therefore, when the two contrasting boys debarked from the carriage and lined up with the rest of the first years, Albus Severus was fidgeting from nervous excitement more than anything else. And as Scorpius' name got called, and the Sorting Hat took _much_ longer than the people in the Great Hall seemingly expected before it called out, “ **Slytherin!** ” he decided on a mantra.

So, when they called out his name, and the Sorting Hat was placed upon his head, he only thought one thing, over and over again. He listened as the Hat mumbled and cajoled, and seemed overall pleased with the words he kept on repeating. ' _Well, at least I can put you where you really belong, I'm surprised you didn't ask for_ _anywhere else_ _like your_ _f_ _ather did. Too late now though, boy, I've decided to put you into…_ ' “ **SLYTHERIN!** ” The Sorting Hat yelled it out triumphantly, and a very audible gasp of surprise rippled throughout the Great Hall, as everyone stared at the Potter who just got sorted into Slytherin, their stares filled with intermingled shock and awe.

Well, everyone except for Score, who just walked up and grabbed his hand as he stepped away from the stool, pulling him to the Slytherin table. “I _knew_ you'd be in Slytherin, I just  knew it!”

And instead of crying, or being worried, or wondering about what the Hat had said, Albus Severus Potter just laughed, shook his head, and sat down next to Score, responding with a friendly jab. “Yeah, yeah. You just expected you'd get your way like you always do, you spoiled brat.”

The Great Hall was even quieter than before, and it felt like everyone was holding their breath, wondering what would happen next, how the Malfoy boy would react to being called a spoiled brat by the Potter boy, and hushed whispers broke out as soon as Scorpius laughed, “Well, obviously. I _always_ get my way.”

Then the Slytherin table broke out into applause, and Albus Severus blushed, overwhelmed in a not-so-bad but definitely-very-weird way, and hid his face in his arms, really too uncomfortable with all the loud noise to do anything else. Scorpius glared at them when they kept on going for longer than was absolutely necessary, and apparently he had inherited his father's glare, because it shut them up pretty fast. Then he reached into Albus Severus' pocket and pulled out the last two pieces of chocolate that the dark-haired boy had saved, and handed them to him, repeating what he had said on the train. “Here, you look like you could use some chocolate.”

Albus Severus laughed again and ate the delicious chocolate, marvelling at how much better it tasted now that the worry was eased from his gut. “Thanks. Dinner's soon, yeah? I'm starving all of a sudden!”

“Yep, as soon as the last few students get Sorted.”

Score looked over at him contemplatively once more, and asked, “What did you say to the Hat? You were under there almost as long as I was.”

He smiled over at his (best) friend and leaned over, not wanting anyone else to hear, even though it wasn't really anything special. “I asked him to put me where I would be happiest and where I belonged. He told me that my dad asked to be in somewhere else instead of Slytherin, even though the Hat wanted to put him into Slytherin. I never knew that!”

Once he said that, Al leaned back and looked over at Score, “What about you? You were under there longer than most of the people expected, from what the whispers were saying.”

“Pretty much the same thing. The Hat was just having a hard time deciding whether the place I belonged best was Ravenclaw or Slytherin. That joke I told you about Nascha biting someone's finger off decided it, in the end.”

They both snickered at that, and as the food finally appeared on the table, dug in with fervour. It turned out they had a great many favourite foods in common as well, including a love of pumpkin juice, an intense dislike of butterbeer unless it was icy cold (which was unusual, considering that it was typically served warm), and both of them agreeing that the only thing in the world better than treacle tart was chocolate.

\- - -

“You can cook? How ever did _that_ come about?”

“I learned from the house elves, and when my father found out, he sighed and said, “At least you are learning something productive. Cooking will help you with Potions, so you had better make good grades in it.” Which I found to be hilarious, really. If I ever have trouble with Potions I can just consult Uncle Sev.”

“Wow, I wouldn't have expected him to say that. Then again, he seems to be a lot different from how Uncle Ron talks about him. Uncle Ron only knows your father from school, so...”

James was listening to his brother as he waited for a good time to let the younger boy know he wanted to sit down, and was shocked. He had always thought of Albus Severus as shy, even though the boy insisted he wasn't shy. But he was just so soft-spoken and self-effacing around the family that everyone but Rose, Aunt Hermione, Uncle George, and his parents just assumed that he was, indeed, shy. James Sirius Potter was absolutely positive now that both he and the entire rest of the family had been _dead_ wrong.

Once a lull came into the conversation he sat down, and got formally introduced to Scorpius, or “Score” as Albus Severus called him. Scorpius did not seem willing to let anyone else call him that, though. He was there for a good half an hour, just observing his brother, who seemed to completely forget about his presence after he didn't say anything in the first five minutes.

His entire idea of what his brother was like was shattered. Albus Severus was not at **all** shy. He was, as he had said many times before, “just quiet”. His younger brother was currently talking with his new friend Scorpius (Sigh. Albus Severus' first school friend _would_ be Malfoy's son. Uncle Ron was going to have a fit.), who, much to James' surprise, seemed to be just as subdued as Albus was. They both spoke quietly and talked only when they actually had something to say, instead of reaching out to try and fill moments of silence.

Neither of them were rambunctious or noisy, although the conversations did become pretty animated at points, and whenever any of the Slytherins nearest to them began getting loud enough that Albus Severus would wince, Scorpius would glare at them until they quieted down. At one point he even raised his voice at them after covering Albus Severus' ears, threatening to hex them unpleasantly.

Now that James actually paid attention, he noticed that his brother had a visibly unpleasant reaction to too much noise… and felt _incredibly_ terrible about all those times that he and the rest of the family tried to push the younger boy into joining them when he obviously wanted to go read or do something else. Even their mum had been guilty of that a time or two. He felt even worse about being a part of the reason Albus Severus had “made a scene” (or rather, defended himself, in all honesty) earlier, because he was undoubtedly one of the loudest family members. Scorpius didn't seem to mind the noise that much, but he was pretty obviously looking out for Albus Severus, which shocked James at first.

Soon he decided to go back to his table though, and he clapped a hand on Albus Severus' shoulder, “I'm glad you have a friend, and I'm glad that you aren't upset about your House. We all still love you, and no one is going to disown you or anything. Rose ended up in Ravenclaw, but we both know she'll end up using that to brag, rather than anything else, since to her, it proves she's already smarter than her dad. And I'll make sure not to tell anyone else that you let Scorpius call you Al when the rest of us have to call you Albus Severus.”

Albus Severus blushed a bit at that, opening his mouth to say something, and James just ruffled his hair. “Don't worry, I get it. Scorpius isn't likely to forget who else you're named after besides Dumbledore, and the rest of the family probably wouldn't have only called you Severus if you had asked. Of course, I think you have to worry about that a lot less now, but yeah. I'm off. I'll see you around.”

\- - -

Albus Severus sighed with relief as soon as his brother left the table. Of course, he had known deep down that they would still love him, he was family after all, but James had taken it better than he had expected. For a while he had actually forgotten that his brother was sitting next to them, which was weird since his brother was usually so loud, even when he wasn't talking.

“I think I passed.”

“What?”

Albus Severus looked over at Score, who nodded towards James, and he realised what part of that whole mess had been about. “Oh! Right, well, I think you did too since he didn't even bother with a threat. Not that it would have mattered if you didn't pass, because really, he's not my boss.”

Scorpius was looking at him intently, and Albus Severus tilted his head a bit, wondering what the pale boy was about to ask him. “Was your brother right about the reason you go by Albus Severus?”

Oh. Well, that was an easy question, he thought. “Yeah. I've actually always wanted to meet Severus Snape, although my dad says he is a hard person to get along with and can be intimidating… I think that's just because my dad never took the time to try and get along with him, which he admits to being true. Severus Snape saved my dad's life a bunch in school, and basically without him I wouldn't exist. Dad says Severus Snape was the bravest man he ever knew.”

Scorpius grinned at him and stood up, motioning for Albus to follow him, which he did. “Uncle Sev lived in the dungeons, and if we get there before the others I can take you to meet him before we all get our rooms assigned and everything. Father told me where he had a portrait hidden down here.”

Albus Severus rushed to Score's side, his eyes wide with nervous anticipation. He had so many things he wanted to tell the former Headmaster! They headed down to the dungeons together, Score leading the way. Albus Severus didn't even bother to ask how he knew the way there, after all, _he_ already knew more than one way to get to the kitchens. The trip was a bit longer than he expected, although the dark haired boy soon realised that they were still supposed to be in the Great Hall, so Scorpius was taking no chances.

“My dad said he wouldn't tell me all the ways to get everywhere, or all of the short-cuts and hidden passages in the school, because firstly he didn't know them all, only most of them, and secondly, I should learn on my own. But he _did_ tell me like fifteen different ways to get to the dungeons in case I needed to avoid getting caught.”

Score looked over at Albus Severus, seeming unsurprised when the darker boy just grinned and nodded, confiding in him that, “I know about as many ways to get to the kitchen, we'll have to swap routes, yeah?”

\- - -

Of course, the answer was a resounding yes, and as they finally made it to the dungeons, Scorpius completely ignored the entrance to the common room, instead tapping three times on a seemingly random brick. It depressed, and he repeated the gesture with two more bricks, causing a passageway to open up in the wall, although it was not actually visible. From sight, it looked like nothing had happened, but when Scorpius walked into the wall Albus followed him, and the door slid shut behind them as the corridor they were in became dimly lit with torches.

The long hallway was fairly bare; dull brownish-grey stone surrounded them, and silver torches along the walls burned with a soft green light. The two boys walked along the passage, and although there were several branches, Scorpius bypassed all of them, instead continuing to the end of the corridor and walking into the room at the end of it. The room was, predictably, themed with Slytherin colours. Almost every bit of cloth and tapestry in the room was composed of beautiful shades of vibrant green, with silver designs or patterns or trim, and all the wood was ebony. There were several well-cushioned and comfortable looking chairs, a large desk, two ebony doors that Scorpius informed Al led to separate rooms, one for potion making and another that was a bedroom, and a third that connected to a loo in this room, as well as a wall covered in floor-to-ceiling curtains of forest green.

Scorpius looked over at Albus, who was biting his lip nervously and looking over at the curtained wall. It was pretty obvious what was behind the curtain, and Scorpius suspected that despite his excitement, Al was feeling intimidated and nervous about meeting one of his namesakes. So he did what any good friend would do, and opened the curtain. He stepped in front of the portrait so that he was in front of his nervous companion, and grinned at the stern face of his “Uncle”.

He didn't waste any time speaking, getting the attention of both parties in the room with him, “Uncle Sev, I really think you should meet my new best friend. Please don't yell at him because he's very quiet and loud noises hurt his ears.”

\- - -

Severus' black eyes met Scorpius' silvery grey ones with a somewhat astonished look. Scorpius had already made a genuine friend? That was a surprising development – the boy was soft spoken and self-contained, giving out trust very cautiously indeed. However, he ignored his so-called grand nephew as another figure stepped up to the portrait. He almost completely discarded the advice given to him when he saw Lily's eyes, in Potter's face. The child was practically identical to his father, with the exception of there being no scar there and his eyes being somewhat less bright – more like Lily's eyes had been rather than reminiscent of the Killing Curse. However, this young boy was nothing at all like his rowdy and obnoxious older brother, that much was immediately visible, and he seemed to be different from his father as well, at least in his posture and his silence.

“Scorpius, it just _had_ to be Potter's son, didn't it? Your grandfather will murder you when he finds out.”

His eyes locked on to the Potter boy's eyes and he asked (read: demanded) for more information. “What is your name, boy?”

Surprisingly, the boy straightened up at that, and smiled brightly – it was definitely Lily's smile, not Potter's, and Severus wasn't exactly sure what to make of that. Nor had he any idea of how to react to the words that escaped the boy's mouth in an incredibly soft, but clear and obviously proud tone.

“Albus Severus, sir, and I'm very pleased to finally meet you. My dad said that you saved his life many times, and that I wouldn't be here without you, and that you're the bravest man he ever knew. I'm really proud to be named after you, Headmaster Snape, and I want to thank you for everything you did for my dad. He wanted to thank you too, but I suspect he'd prefer to do that in person rather than through me.”

This young boy seemed to be a living contradiction. He was obviously nervous, yet he spoke with a soft voice that somehow was strong and audible despite its low volume. His words were firm, not shaky. Add to that the fact that he was a Potter, but landed in Slytherin, that he seemed to be proud to bear Severus Snape's own name, instead of ashamed… It was disconcerting, to say the least.

\- - -

Albus Severus Potter was trying his best not to fidget. He could tell when he was being analysed and it was happening now. Severus Snape, ex-Death Eater, spy for the Order, unsung hero of the Wizarding war, was analysing and judging Albus Severus Potter. Which, in and of itself, was a miraculous thing. James had met “Headmaster Snape” (he had said it in such a **demeaning** tone that Albus Severus had immediately ignored anything his elder brother said about the stern man) and been almost immediately dismissed. Of course, that didn't surprise Albus Severus much, James was caustic at times, and stuck in his own ways.

However, when the older man finally spoke up again, the words were not directed towards Albus Severus, but towards Scorpius. “I suspect you two will be causing much trouble during your stay. _Do_ try not to get caught. Your Housemates are already on their way, I suggest you leave soon. I will see to it that you two get a room together, because I suspect that otherwise I shall have to listen to at least one of you whinge about how horrid and dreadful the people who share your room are. You may leave now.”

Scorpius grinned, nodded, and grabbed Albus Severus' hand, dragging him out of the room once he shut the curtains on the portrait. They fell heavily, and Albus Severus thought he heard a sigh from behind them, but was too busy being pulled along to think about it much. “Um, so, wha-”

“Uncle Sev must really be confused about you, Al! I remember when he met James he practically threw a fit about how rude and rotten he was for _days_ , “Just like his namesake… Both of them!” But he was almost shocked speechless at what you said! You really took a good tone with him, apparently Potters tend to not have any respect for him. Personally, I think that once he gets to know you, he'll like you. But then again, I _am_ biased.”

Scorpius' interruption was well-timed, and he was grinning the entire time he was talking, in such a way that Albus Severus couldn't help but grin back. He felt so much more at ease around his new friend. It was probably because of Score's confidence in himself, and the fact that it was infectious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall sighed and shook her head, rubbing her temples lightly. Severus Snape had just burst into his portrait, demanding that two of the latest brood of children to enter Hogwarts were placed in their own room, in a tone that said “ _I am only demanding because otherwise you will refuse to listen to me._ ”

_He wasn't there, he doesn't know._ It was her silent mantra now, and she looked up. “Respectfully, Headmaster Snape, I would ask if you thought me a fool, ordering such a thing without thinking to question how those two managed about in the Great Hall. I'll have you know that young Scorpius immediately grabbed Albus Severus – he does prefer to be called that by any but specific people, you understand; his father is the only person he has ever allowed to call him “Albus” or “Al” before Scorpius appeared, and even then only rarely did he tolerate it – by the hand and practically dragged him off of the stool, crowing about how he knew Albus Severus would end up sorted into Slytherin. Apparently they shared a compartment and a carriage by themselves before their arrival, and Scorpius was very protective over Albus Severus, even going so far as to tell his Housemates to “shut up before I hex you ten ways into hell” when they were getting overly loud.”

Minerva smiled at the memory, then looked at the portrait, which held a stunned Snape. “Of course they will get their own room, since Albus Severus' hearing is incredibly sensitive and loud noises are painful to him. He was originally going to get his own room, but this is suitable since Draco will enjoy that his son gets special privileges for being friends with Harry's son. Harry has told me very much about his son in order to make sure that there are no fumbles or mistakes that might cause him to distrust adults and get himself into trouble as Harry was constantly doing during his tenure at Hogwarts.

“He has even gone so far as to contact Madam Pomfrey to see about something that will allow Albus Severus to enjoy Quidditch games and dine more comfortably, without sacrificing his enhanced sense permanently, because the few times they tried muffling spells Albus Severus was very upset with how much they dulled his hearing. Possibly a potion or something infused into chocolate that he could take regularly without becoming immune or addicted to. Or a spell. Perhaps you would enjoy helping to create something to that extent?”

There. That should get Severus _out of her office_ and busy with bothering someone  else whilst he worked through the information given. The extent of Albus Severus' condition was disabling, but his father had despaired of finding anything that allowed him to enjoy events without muffling his hearing to the extent of being impaired severely in the opposite way. Of course most of the family had just not understood, and Harry couldn't protect his son forever.

The grey haired witch looked up, and smiled to see an empty frame and a bunch of other portraits muttering furiously to each other, Albus' portrait smiling gently at her. “That was masterfully handled, Minerva. Now, please do tell me more about the latest shock of the school. It seems that things are going to be quite changed by this new and interesting friendship.”

She smiled, and proceeded to tell the goings on of the night to her old friend, and wondered silently what new trouble would come about now that there was a Potter in Slytherin, one that seemed to be best friends with the son of his father's childhood school nemesis.

\- - -

“Our own room! Can you believe it Score? I mean yeah I sort of expected Dad to get me my own room but we got put together, this is perfect!”

Scorpius smiled slightly and went through his things in his chest and on his bed, double checking that nothing was missing and then summarily organising everything neatly for easy access. It was nice, getting privileges like this without it being because of who he was related to or anything. Just because he had taken a chance on becoming Al's friend, because he wanted to be different to his father. “Yes, it's quite nice. We can sneak out at night and no one will be able to tell on us, _and_ we don't have to worry about annoying or loud roommates.”

Al chuckled at that and nodded. “Late night trips to the kitchens will be so easy to pull off, especially with _this_.”

He was holding… what? Albus' hand was nearly wholly invisible, the shimmering cloth inside of it making the wall behind his hand and forearm perfectly visible through it except where his fingers were gripping part of the cloth. Scorpius' jaw dropped and he rubbed his eyes. “Is that… the **genuine** invisibility cloak? The one from that daft tale of the Deathly Hallows? Father said he thought that your father owned it but… I never expected his suspicions to be correct. It all seemed so far-fetched, after all.”

Al grinned and nodded, “Only it isn't daft. My dad has had ownership of all three of them at one point. Not together though, he dropped the Stone in the forest because it really isn't much of anything, just shows the spectres of who you want to see. He won't say what he did with the wand but it's not around either, he didn't like to use it, see, preferred his normal one. But the cloak, it was always in Dad's family line and he got it as a present his first year here from probably Dumbledore, and he gave it to me because I'm the least likely to cause serious trouble with it. James'd cause a bloody riot if he knew about it and owned it, and Dad didn't want Lily to have it but he wouldn't say why. I did ask him though because he told me he wants it to continue down the family line and I'm not having children unless I adopt.”

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at this information, digesting it all before latching onto the last bit. The firm way Al said it, the confidence and surety in his voice, well that was all rather _interesting_. “Why not?”

The black haired boy shook his head. “Are you kidding me? Why would I? Children are noisy as all hell and I don't deal well with noise, as you well know. Besides I mightn't even be able to for all I know. Uncle Charlie likes boys and I might well grow up into liking boys more than girls too. I decided last year that if I ever have kids it will be through adoption and they will be older children who are quiet like me. But Dad just laughed and said 'Even if they're adopted, formally or not, family is still family and I am sure you will find someone worthy to pass it down to.' So I guess that really settles that.”

He got a thoughtful nod in response to that, then Scorpius grinned widely at him. “Hope your dad isn't suffering under the illusion that you'll never cause trouble with that thing because I bloody well will goad you into it as much as possible. Chaos is fun.”

Albus laughed and nodded, “Oh he knows I can be a troublemaker, and really he wouldn't give it to me if he didn't mean for me to have fun with it, but he figures I'll just cause significantly less damage overall than James will. Which's probably true. I'm a lot more subtle than he is. I might cause more trouble, actually, especially with you by my side, but there'll be less to link me to it and less property damage.”

\- - -

His father had actually told him about the Map, and that Lily was getting it. Apparently James didn't need any additional aid to cause trouble in his dad's eyes, which Albus (ever since he'd met Headmaster Snape, he'd pretty much _had_ to refer to himself as **just** that, because while it was fine for other people to call him by both of his names, Al didn't need to be reminded at all about the second person he was named after any more. Not when he was best friends with someone who was practically family to the man, and had met him, and would hopefully have a good relationship with him) thought to be a wise decision.

James was the most likely of them to find secret passages and go exploring on his own, and he wasn't a dunce, he was smart enough to not get caught if he was actually trying. He didn't need the extra help that the Cloak would give him in hiding, especially since Albus was more likely to be bullied and might need it to run away. And he certainly didn't need the aid of the Marauders' Map because Dad had told him about enough secret ways to get places that he'd go out exploring for more on his own and have more fun doing that than having them all just given to him straight off.

Albus actually thought that his dad had offered James the Map and been turned down, but he wasn't told that and so he didn't know for sure. But it would be phenomenally unfair to tell both younger children about the Map and leave James out and his dad was anything but unfair. Just Albus knowing about the Cloak was one thing, because it was just him and he had more real need for it than either of his siblings would. It was up to him to tell them if he wanted but he knew that unless there was an emergency of some sort, he would keep its existence a secret to himself and Score. Plus if James had accepted it, his dad would have probably not told the younger two about it.

Not that Lily knew about her inheritance of the Marauders’ Map yet. Their father probably wouldn't tell her about it until her turn came up to go to Hogwarts. His thoughts were interrupted by Score's drawling voice, “Well certainly, that's a given considering what you've told me of James.”

They both snickered at that and Albus flopped onto his bed, sighing as he looked up at the ceiling. He concentrated and pulled his wand out, pointing it at the ceiling and saying a spell his father had taught him, doing the rather complicated wand motion flawlessly. Scorpius watched him first with curiosity, then amazement as the ceiling turned into a mirror of outside, the moon shining brightly just at the edge, only half of the silver orb visible while stars twinkled in the sky above their heads. Score whistled and looked at Albus with shock.

“Wow. I won't be daft and ask who taught you that, your father probably did, but how long have you been using that spell? That's bloody complicated magic!”

Al grinned and flushed with pride. “I can do it to the walls too. Been doing it for two years; when I was little I used to be afraid of the dark everywhere except outside, so Dad enchanted my bedroom ceiling and walls, and then started teaching me the spell so I can make whatever I like look like I'm outside. I'm not afraid of the dark any more but I love the spell, and abuse it whenever possible. If you don't want the sun to wake you up I know the counterspell and it's pretty easy, I can teach it to you and you can de-spell the area above your bed.”

His suggestion was met with a shake of the blonde boy's head, then a hesitated nod and a grin. “Actually, teach me both! I would love to come home and do this for my father and see the look on his face. This is way above our level, he'll be so proud. Even Grandfather would be impressed, not that I'd show him, but Father would tell him.”

It went unsaid that it would definitely make his father more inclined to approve of the friendship they shared, regardless of what he personally thought to begin with. Albus was not intending on saying anything about it because what really did it matter that Score wanted some extra ammunition? If Al got something out of Scorpius that would make certain members of his family soften towards his friendship he'd use it in an instant. In fact it was sure to happen and he fully intended on on abusing that fact. His father would be impressed that Score took him to see Headmaster Snape the moment he said he wanted to, but that wouldn't make a dent in the anger Uncle Ron was sure to have when he found out. Uncle Ron hated “Snape, the greasy git” even though the former Headmaster had been on the side of good all along.

Well, hate was probably too strong a word. He really disliked the dead man, though, and that was where James got his attitude towards him from. Aunt Hermione would be impressed that Score knew how to cook because it meant less chance of him abusing house elves or even using them if he was on friendly enough terms to have learned to cook from them. She wouldn't assume he'd bullied them into teaching him, just whinged until they couldn't stand it any more.

So the rest of the night was spent with him tutoring Score in the ways of the spell he used, and then he spelled the walls of their room. Scorpius had the counterspell down pat, because it was much simpler than the actual spell to create the vision of outside. The only reason there even was a counterspell was because this kind of spell was one you wouldn't want a simple Finite Incantatem to vanish if you were trying to do something else, especially if there was no other light source in the room and your wand was too busy doing more important things to use a Lumos on.

It was a fun way to end the evening.

\- - -

Scorpius was brimming with excitement the next morning. The sunrise was a sight to see, and he had made significant progress on learning the super advanced spell that Al was teaching him. Albus had been impressed actually, but Scorpius had reasoned that since Al had been learning it at a younger age, of course it would have taken him longer than it did Scorpius. He had simply nodded at that, and they had said their goodnights and gone to sleep simultaneously.

But he was excited for his first day exploring the school with Al and sneaking into places they shouldn't know about. Al said he had a surprise for Scorpius, and he was eager to learn what the surprise was. Knowing Albus it would be something exciting and absolutely extraordinary. Especially with the smile he'd had on his face when he talked about it. That smile promised something utterly _wondrous_.

Then they planned on visiting Hagrid, their Care of Magical Creatures teacher, to go visit the Thestrals, after Al taught him one of the ways to get to the kitchens to procure some raw meat. Following that, Scorpius was going to show Al one of the secret passages to the dungeons, a very accessible but highly unknown one, and then they planned on going to the Lake to visit the Selkies and maybe even see Grindylows (Albus Severus Potter seemed to have an intense fascination with Magical Creatures and animals in general, but that wasn't really surprising, given his quiet nature), and _then_ they planned to walk the edge of the Forbidden Forest, which Al's father said was beautiful at all times of the year, even as he had warned Al of the dangers within and how to avoid them. Not necessarily in that order, of course.

Personally, Scorpius hoped they would get to see a Centaur, but that would be for late night sneaking out or sneaking in during other weekends. Somewhere amidst all their plans they'd fit in meals; Al said that the house elves in the kitchens were very nice and willing to serve, and that they'd probably pack the two boys a picnic lunch (or dinner, maybe) for their outside time. He suspected that spending time with Al would end up with him developing a fondness for Magical Creatures in addition to the one he already had for animals.

Basically, they planned to spend the whole day either hidden inside the castle or wandering outside of it, which was suitable use of their weekend free time. Tomorrow they could better get to know their Housemates and yearmates, but today Scorpius figured Al needed to spend time away from all the chaos and things, to gather his thoughts and write a letter to his father (whilst Scorpius wrote one to _his_ father) and in general get himself acclimated to their new surroundings. And Scorpius was no fool – it would be much better to solidify this friendship than it would to gather peons right now. The minions could come later; he had to make sure that he didn't lose his first true friend most of all.

Suddenly Scorpius heard a rustling and saw Al opening his curtains with a yawn, before waving madly at him. Scorpius just laughed softly and waved back, before hopping out of the bed. “I know you wanted to have lunch and dinner in the kitchens and outside, whichever order they happen in, but what about breakfast?”

Al shot him a grin and clapped his hands four times, with a single second between each clap. Suddenly there was a **pop** in the room, and a house elf was in between the two of them. “Master Albus Severus and Master Scorpius is needing Winky?”

Al smirked over at Scorpius, who shook his head in wonderment before sliding back onto his bed. Just what all had his father _taught_ him about Hogwarts before they came here?! This was becoming bloody well _absurd_! The darker boy responded with, “Yes, we'd like breakfast brought to us here please, Winky. I'm not feeling up to the Great Hall this morning.”

Winky shot Al a calculating look before nodding. “And would Master Albus Severus be wanting his other meals for today to be elsewhere as well?”

He just smiled and nodded, “As well, please have some raw meat kept for us when we come to the kitchens, we'll be visiting the Thestrals today. I'd like some sausages, one rasher of bacon, fried potatoes, two scones dripping with butter and honey, and some very cold pumpkin juice, please.”

Scorpius spoke up then. “I'll have what he's having, actually, only one of the scones should have marmalade instead of honey.”

“Ooh! Wait, do that for me too! I love marmalade!”

The house elf just nodded again and popped away, leaving behind one very smug Potter child and one astonished Malfoy child. “How did she know that?”

Al smiled at him and tilted his head. “Dad informed the school at the end of last year so they could be ready for me. Headmistress McGonagall had a private room ready for me in _all_ of the dorms, and Dad told Madam Pomfrey about it so she can try and figure out some way to keep me from unintentional social ostracism because I can't handle the crowds and loud noises. It wouldn't be permanent, because really outside of some situations the enhanced hearing's really great, kept James from laying all his 'pranks' on me because I could hear him coming like a kilometre away, and makes eavesdropping on conversations a _breeze_. I try not to do it too often though because it's very rude, but sometimes I don't have much choice, especially with all the loud people in my family.”

Ostracism? Merlin, Al was very well-read and had a large vocabulary for his age. Scorpius did as well, but that was a given. He was a _Malfoy_ , after all. They had to be well-educated at all times. “Wow. Do you think they'd do that for any child with the same problem as you, or is it because of your father's influence?”

“Dunno, but really, I don't care; it's one of the few times when it's an enormous benefit to me, y'know? If it's just because of my dad, well, I'm still getting what's really necessary, and they'll have preparation for anyone else like me who might have problems that mean they can't be around other people often for whatever reason.”

The blonde boy nodded sagely at that, and then Winky was back with their food, placing the platters onto their beds and popping away. Scorpius gave him a curious look at the fact that he didn't do something ridiculous like thanking the elf, since his aunt was big on house elf treatment, Scorpius knew that much, and Al correctly read his expression, responding, “Aunt Hermione always says to thank the house elves for things they do, but Dad told me that it makes most of them sob uncontrollably and the like, so it's better not to. Being polite when you ask is fine, and telling them that you appreciate them or whatever they did for you is fine, but outright thanking them apparently upsets them and he says it's kinda mean. So I let _her_ do the thanking and just keep my thanks to myself.”

“Good. I don't like house elf tears in my food. Someone who follows her absurd organisation was at a dinner party once and we couldn't get Fory to stop crying for almost half an hour after he was thanked for bringing them champagne, it was absolutely ridiculous. Father made absolutely certain never to invite them to another Manor party again after that little incident.”

Al chuckled at that, then enthusiastically stated, “Let's eat!”

It should come as no surprise that they both dug in with fervour.

\- - -

Well, here they were. It had been a total maze to find the place, but the castle seemed to know where they wanted to go, and his dad's directions hadn't failed him in the slightest. “Okay, Score, I want you to trust me on this. I'll look half mad but just trust me.”

His best friend raised an eyebrow and nodded sceptically, and presumably watched on as Albus paced the wall three times, focusing on his intense wanting to show this room to Scorpius, and to give the other boy an amazing experience. That was his goal here, was to give Scorpius a present for being such an amazing, perfect friend already even though it'd only just been a day that they'd known each other.

He knew that the Room was sentient, or at least partly so, and he figured that if it was, it could tell that Score was with him and what the other boy would like. So when he had passed three times and a silvery door appeared, he assumed he had succeeded in this endeavour. Hopefully it worked, and hopefully they would be met with perfection from Scorpius' point of view. Scorpius had both eyebrows raised now, and Albus gave him a secretive little smile before taking his hand and leading him into the room.

Inside was a _marvel_. Oh _Merlin_ was Albus amazed at what the Room of Requirement had pulled up for Score! The walls were enormous windows, each showing the Forbidden Forest at a different time of year, showing the most beautiful parts of it. In one of them, Centaurs wandered freely around, and they could be seen flitting here and there throughout the others. Albus wondered if Score liked Centaurs and then shrugged. Probably. That didn't matter, really.

The rest of the room was done in dark evergreen, with gorgeous cherry wood furnishings, brushed steel accents, and white gold accents. The sofa and chairs had deep golden embroidery of felines chasing things like butterflies and mice and dragonflies on the fronts and backs of them, not just house cats but large cats as well; a cheetah here, a leopard there, a lion laying sedately on one of the chairs, a jaguar stalking a dragonfly on the other. It was stunning.

Between the chairs and the sofa was a large coffee table, again made from cherry wood, and it had a hole cut out in the middle that showed fish swimming around. Albus gasped and bent down – sure enough, inside the hole was an enormous fish tank filled with many types of tropical fish, including a proper environment with sand and plants and coral along the bottom. Across from the seating area was an enormous fireplace blazing cheerily with a fire already lit. It had a mantle that surprisingly enough, had a bowl of Floo powder on it. Albus suspected that if Scorpius ever wanted to go visit home he could, and then just come back here, so long as Albus stayed in the Room. And vice versa.

Turning around, he grinned at Score's awed face and asked, “Well? Did it work? I asked it for a room that would give you an amazing experience.”

Scorpius just stared at him and nodded, fervently touching the autumn themed wall, which had Centaurs freely running about in it, and gazing at them eagerly. He explored the entire room, even to the point of dipping his hand into the water (apparently the hole wasn't covered with glass, who knew?) and letting the fish mouth at his fingers, before drying his hand off on a towel that was conveniently placed near the mantle of the fireplace, and then ran his fingers through the Floo powder. “If you-”

Al knew it was rude to interrupt but he did it anyway to save his friend from asking a question that would most likely feel painfully obvious to him. “Yeah probably. If one of us stays here we could go visit a family member or something, or maybe even bring someone back here.”

Suddenly, his arms were full of a slightly shorter blonde boy, who gripped him tightly. Scorpius wasn't freaked out by physical affection then, Albus thought idly, as he ran his hand along his best friend's back and hugged him back, until Score released him. Then one of his hands was gripped tightly and he was pulled towards the sofa. They sat on it, and Scorpius looked at him. “It worked perfectly. I… Can I bring Father here, please? Like, right now? He'll be at home because Mother and Grandmother are out shopping today as per usual, and he likes having the house to himself, I always was outside on Saturdays. I want to show him what you did for me so he will see first hand what a great first and best friend I picked out.”

He tilted his head and thought, then shrugged. Well, not much thinking was needed, really. This would be solid proof he cared about Scorpius even though it was a new friendship. “Certainly. This is called the Room of Requirement. Make sure you specify it to be for Hogwarts, just in case.”

He got another quick hug, and Score walked to the fireplace. “It'll not be for long, because I want to keep our other plans. Be right back!”

He picked up the Floo powder, called out, “Malfoy Manor!” and leapt into the fire, no doubt knowing the Blood Wards would let him in.

Sure enough, less than a minute later, two figures stepped easily out of the fireplace. _Unlike Dad and James, who always stumble out. I'm glad I don't, or I'd make a bad showing as Score's friend._

He was more or less ignored at first, as Scorpius showed everything to his father, and finally, Mr. Malfoy turned to him. He spoke first, so as not to seem rude. “Hello Mr. Malfoy. It's nice to meet you. Scorpius has nothing but good to say about you so I'm glad he can go visit you regularly despite still being in school now.”

Draco Malfoy's eyebrows raised up and a faint smirk crossed his lips as he saw Al's outstretched hand. Albus wasn't sure why he was smirking, but that didn't matter when Mr. Malfoy's hand clasped his own and shook it firmly, three times, before letting go. “I never thought I would say this but I am very pleased to meet you as well, Albus Severus Potter. I can tell that you will be a good friend to Scorpius. And please, don't call me Mr. Malfoy, it makes me sound like my father when anyone other than my business associates and clients call me that. Just Draco will do.”

Then Mr. Mal- _Draco_ turned to his son, after receiving a grave nod from Albus, and spoke to him. “I assume you have many plans for today, so I will take my leave now. Thank you for showing me this Scorpius, it is nice to have proof that my son is a good judge of character. I'm very glad you found a real friend so soon, no matter who he is.”

Just before he stepped towards the fireplace, Albus called out. “Um, Sir – Mi- er, Draco... You can call me Albus or Al, too, like Score. I don't think you need to be reminded about Headmaster Snape, since you are friends with him and all.”

He got a small smile at that, and Draco nodded, before calling out the Manor and stepping into the flames easily.

Scorpius bounced up excitedly one time, and then grabbed Albus and led him to the door. “This place is amazing but I am positive that the next time I want I can call it up, right?”

Albus gave a sort of half-shake and half-nod of his head. “Like I said before, this is the Room of Requirement, and it only shows up when you have a real need of it. I guess if you do want something enough it'll probably show up as well, seeing as it definitely wasn't necessary for me to give you this, but if you just kind of want to see it or something nothing'll happen. The Room's probably at least half sentient, Dad told me, if not fully so. But if you do need something, like to get away from everything or hide from bullies or see your father, it'll show up. You can even lock everyone out of it – I did that, I asked the Room to not let anyone else in here except the house elves and people you wanted in here. You can do the same, like saying no one who dislikes or hates you or your father can come in here – even lock me out if you need to, so you can always have a safe haven. I figured… Well… With how we first met… You might need a safe place to go to.”

The smile he got in return to his answer was a prize he intended to treasure, as Scorpius hugged him again. “Thank you so much, Al. No one has ever done anything like this for me. You could have kept the Room secret, or you could have told me other things and left stuff out, but instead you just told me everything; even that despite you making the room I could lock you out of it… Thank you. I don't think I can convey how much it means to me. You're definitely the best friend I could have ever hoped for.”

Albus smiled gently as he was let go once more, and tugged on Scorpius' hand. “What say you to going out and seeing the Thestrals now?”

Scorpius grinned at him. “I say let's go, so long as we visit the Selkies after!”

They left the room hand in hand, and Albus showed him the second secret he had wanted to show Scorpius today – one of more than a dozen ways he knew to get to the kitchen rather unnoticed.

\- - -

Scorpius had a wonderful memory, and he used it as Al showed him the way to the kitchens. Once they got there, one of the house elves immediately handed them each a bag chock full of raw meat, obviously knowing that it was too early for lunch. Then Winky showed up with a basket and handed it to them. “Lunch will be eaten outside, Winky assumes, since the young masters is going to be feeding the Thestrals. Winky has made a good lunch for the young masters and they is to be eating it all.”

Albus smiled gently at the house elf and took the basket. Apparently it was heavy enough that he cast a Lightening charm on it. Again, Scorpius wondered that the Potter children, or at least one of them, had been taught magic whilst underaged. It was one thing for the Malfoys to do it, it was rather expected and especially now, after the war with all the fanatics running around, Scorpius had to be able to defend hims-oh. Right. _Duh_. Harry Potter was mobbed and attacked pretty often just for his name and status as a war hero, not to mention his former job as an Auror. He had quit the Auror work because he wasn't spending enough time with his family, apparently, or so the papers said, and now he worked as a Duelling instructor – basically a for-hire tutor for people who wanted to get into the Aurors or other (often dangerous) careers that needed fancy spellwork and fast footwork.

Okay so a lot of things made sense now. Of course Harry Potter wouldn't _just_ teach his children defensive spells, he'd teach them ordinary (and, thinking about last night, not-so-ordinary) spells as well just because otherwise they might be pants at learning them when it came to it. Father had said that the smartest thing Harry Potter had ever done was to quit his job as an Auror, regardless of how good he was at it. So if Harry Potter had been smart enough to place his family over his job, he would be smart enough to balance out the underaged magic he taught his kids so they could function well as well as be safe when outside where they might be mobbed or attacked.

He was jerked out of his thoughts when Albus replied to Winky with, “I appreciate it, Winky. We'll eat it all.”

Then they left, and Al showed him a second way to get to the kitchens (or rather out of the kitchens to the courtyard, but still) before wandering out towards Hagrid's hut. It was a dirty little place, but not too bad, Scorpius concluded, especially when the half-giant treated him kindly and told him if he ever needed to get away he could hide there. Apparently Hagrid was used to having students who needed rescuing. It was interesting. Then Albus asked Hagrid to show them where the Thestrals were kept, and he gave an assessing gaze to both of them, before leading the way into the Forest. Scorpius kept very close attention to where they entered, and the barely-there path they used to reach the Thestrals, then eagerly headed towards a foal.

The foal pranced up to him and he pulled out his meat, handing the youngling a few of the pieces as what was presumably the foal's mother walked up to him as well. She nudged his arm and he laughed quietly, stroking both their necks softly between feeding them meat. When he looked over at Al, who was laughing, he found the other boy surrounded by most of the rest of the Thestrals (the ones not around him were over by Hagrid) as they ate from his hands and even straight from the bag. Scorpius couldn't help but laugh at that, the greedy things were so lovely and despite being so out of the ordinary and mystical, they still acted normal when it came to food.

They spent a good while after the meat was gone just chatting with Hagrid (who was very, er, _passionate_ about Magical Creatures and animals), and petting the Thestrals. Then Albus picked up their picnic basket and announced that they were going to head out to see the Selkies and have lunch, since it had been  quite a while since breakfast, according to Scorpius' watch – really, it was nearing noon already!

Soon they were back at the entrance to the “path” to the Thestrals' clearing, and then they walked along the edge of the Forest (which really was, as Al's father had said to Al, extremely beautiful) until they got to the Lake. They sat down and spread the blanket inside of the basket on the ground, then unpacked their lunch, chatting quietly about what they would do with the rest of the day, and making plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow Al wanted to try eating at least two meals in the Great Hall, and Scorpius was currently arguing him out of it, in between polite bites of a cucumber sandwich. “Listen, Al, if you push yourself too hard then it'll just make it more and more difficult for you to go back out there again and you'll end up being a recluse until they manage a way for you to make your hearing a more manageable level for periods of time.”

Then he gave Al a faux-imperious look and stated pretentiously, “Besides, if you spend all your time hiding away because you pushed yourself too much, I can't build my army of minions, and then what good will that do us?”

That got Al laughing and he finally caved in, albeit reluctantly – Scorpius had wondered at first what happened to make Albus so much more courageous than he'd seen him be before, but then realised that a good part of it was not having to face anyone he didn't want to today, and in addition, he was probably riding on the high from the explicit approval of their friendship from Scorpius' father. Something like having Draco Malfoy approve of you would definitely make most people more likely to push themselves to try harder than normal.

They took their time eating lunch, before wading into the lake (and wonder of wonders, Al had Gillyweed on his person – apparently his father had bought him a bunch of it because Al loved swimming underwater) and taking their swim. The Selkies were quite interesting, and surprisingly polite to them, keeping their Grindylows at bay. They swam and dove and generally just played about like they were born to the water, especially once Albus had shown Scorpius some neat tricks. Scorpius liked to swim, but he had never had a big love of it until now – Gillyweed made a _huge_ difference because not only were there creatures to converse with (and a friend, as well) but he could stay underwater as long as he wanted, and it also seemed to give the both of them a stronger ability for natural swimming.

Jumping into the air made them go much higher than any normal human could, and it was almost as exhilarating as flying.

When the Gillyweed wore off, they left the water, cast drying and cleaning charms on their clothes, and then went back to the castle, managing to get back to the kitchens the way they had come outside, and then heading back to the Room, again using the same path. Scorpius firmly had both of them memorised now. Once they were seated on the couch in the Room, having blocked out anyone but the house elves, they spent a good few hours just chatting to each other before Albus shyly looked over at Scorpius. “Do you mind if I Floo call my dad instead of writing him? And maybe bring him over? Since I met yours I think you should be able to meet mine.”

Scorpius smiled at the other boy and nodded. Of course he didn't mind that at all; 'twas only fair, after all. Plus, he wanted the chance to make a good impression on his best friend's (very, _very_ famous) father, so that their friendship wasn't strained, and meeting him in a controlled setting was the best way to go about it. “Go on, Al, I don't mind at all.”

\- - -

Harry Potter was slightly amused, and not at all surprised, when his youngest son's head popped into his office fireplace, hesitantly calling out, “Dad?”

He stepped around his desk and knelt down, smiling. “Hello Albus Severus. How has your first day been so far? Is there a problem you are having or something?”

“Oh, Merlin, Dad, today has been **perfect**! But, um, the thing is… See… Well, I'm in that Room now, and I was wondering if you wanted to come meet my best friend, please? I met his father earlier, and Draco was really nice and well, I guess I just want you to meet him and stuff before you hear bad things about him, just in case, so you can make your own mind up about him.”

The black haired man nodded sagely, “Yes, James _did_ mention that you had made friends with young Scorpius Malfoy. Sure, how about I just leave my paperwork for later and you can tell me about your day?”

Albus Severus nodded eagerly, then his head was gone, and he was stepping smoothly into the office (Harry was a bit jealous, he had to admit – he still stumbled every time he used the Floo network). “I have to take you with me since we're in the Room and I had to make an exception for you like Score made an exception for his father earlier. You wouldn't _believe_ how nice Draco is! He told me not to call him Mr. Malfoy and said he approved of the friendship once he saw the room I made for Score.”

Harry chuckled. “Nickname already? And he approves of it? Well then I can safely say that your best friend is not anything like his father was at your age.”

The young boy nodded eagerly, and called out “Hogwarts' Room of Requirement!” before throwing the Floo powder into the fireplace. They both stepped through, and Albus ran over to the couch, as Harry stumbled a bit, but righted himself more easily than normal – ah, the fireplace was much taller here than most fireplaces were. That was nice. He looked around the room, slightly awed, before staring at his son. “What exactly did you ask the Room for?”

Albus grinned at him, and tilted his head towards the pale blonde boy next to him. “I asked for a room that would give Score an amazing experience. The table has a tropical fish aquarium and on the autumn Forest wall there are Centaurs and just, it was everything I hoped even though I didn't know what Score would like – the Room really must be sentient like you thought, Dad, because Score was with me and it seemed to just take what he would like and put it in here.”

Well, that was a theory confirmed, then. Hermione would have fun knowing that it was sentient for sure. “Let's not be rude, then, we can have a chat once we've been introduced.”

Al flushed a little, but nodded, “Scorpius, this is my dad, Harry Potter. Dad, this is Scorpius Malfoy, my best friend. He's _amazing_. I couldn't ever hope for a better friend.”

Scorpius stood up and Harry solemnly shook his hand as the boy said, “It's nice to meet you, Mr. Potter. Your son gave me something that Father told me to get before I did anything else, and it was a complete and total surprise. Al is braver than most people think he is, the way he offered me his hand even knowing that some of his family hate mine.”

The young Malfoy boy shot a smile at Albus, who grinned widely back, and Harry raised an eyebrow. “First; just call me Harry. And second, what is is that your father told you to get?”

“A real, actual friend who didn't want me for my name or to sabotage me.”

Both eyebrows were raised now, and Harry sat down in one of the chairs across from them, smiling gently. Well, well, well. It seemed that some things certainly _had_ changed in the Malfoy family.

\- - -

“And then I showed him one of the ways to the kitchens you told me about – we used two today, and Score knows about as many ways to the dungeons and he's gonna show me one on our way there tonight, since we're eating in the Room for dinner – and Winky had a picnic basket for us and meat for the Thestrals, and we went to Hagrid who showed us where they're kept.”

Albus grinned at the stunned look on his dad's face at that, as Scorpius spoke up, “It was really fun, I was feeding a mare and her foal, and Hagrid had a few gathered around him, but Al was bloody well _covered_ in Thestrals! They were all over him trying to get fed and petted, it was hilarious. Then we went to the Lake and ate and Al shared some of his Gillyweed with me. Merlin, it really makes swimming so much more intense and enjoyable. I enjoyed it before but being able to do aerial flips and high jumps and talk to the Selkies – it's just a totally different experience.”

He giggled at the obvious enjoyment and pleasantness to his best friend's tone, even though his voice was steady and calm for the most part. Scorpius wasn't giving too much of himself away, was being reserved, but was still letting enough show that Albus' dad wouldn't think him some cold person, because Score wasn't a cold person to Al at all. He picked up the thread then, “Then we went back here and you know the rest. Like I said earlier, I showed Score how to summon Winky and I locked everyone out of the Room except the house elves.”

The green eyed boy paused and then spoke up again, “Oh yeah! Also, I told Score _everything_ about the Room, because he was being bullied over just his last name and his relationship to his father and grandfather when we met, and I figure sometimes he might even just want to be completely alone so I let him know he can even lock _me_ out.”

The proud look in his dad's eyes was worth all the worry he'd gone through over his dad not liking his first friend. “Well then, I have an idea. Scorpius, once, when I was younger, I rejected your father's hand in friendship, and now that I'm grown I know that I'm probably half the reason for all the trouble he had in school. It's too late to go back and change that, but I'm more than willing to put the past behind me and start over, and Ginny could use some more female friends. How about I go get my wife, you get your parents, and we eat dinner together here? It's nearly dinnertime, after all; time has passed by rather fast. You can easily add on a proper dining area to the room just by wanting it. Of course, I'll let you ask your father if he's amenable to this, but I think it would be good for all of us since you two are likely not going to be growing apart, ever.”

Albus was shocked at the suggestion, but also excited, and he looked at Score to see a thoughtful look on his face before the other boy nodded slightly and headed over to the spring wall. The room extended, then a proper dining table with six seating spaces, all of them on the sides and none at the head or foot of the table, and fancy settings appeared in the new space. “I will convince Father, because I know that he has regrets and likes to make fresh starts. If you can convince Mrs. Potter while I'm gone, then Al can bring you two through once I'm back with my parents…?”

His dad nodded and left the Room for his mum's office – she was Captain of the Falmouth Falcons, and had her own office to help manage the team. Al knew he'd have to pick them up there, and kept that in mind. His mum he wasn't sure would come, but at the very least his dad would, and it was probably the same with Score.

Tonight looked like it would be as interesting as the rest of the day had been.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Draco and Astoria (she had insisted, just like Draco had, on first names, and she was a beautiful woman with a sweet nature but she also looked like she could cut deep if she was treated badly; so she was as strong as she was sweet. They made a _really_ nice couple together) were seated together on the couch, talking softly to each other about the upcoming meeting – Astoria had apparently been very eager to come to this gathering, because she had similar problems with not having many real friends simply due to her name.

And Al knew enough about his father that Draco would not have to be the one to take the risk of being snubbed this time. _And_ now he knew why Draco had smirked like he had when he saw Al's hand extended like so earlier, reminiscing of a time when someone else looking like Albus had rejected his own hand instead of offering their hand in friendship. Smiling at that thought, he went through to his mum's office. The smile didn't disappear either, as he saw his parents holding hands and kissing lightly as his mum said. “Alright, fine, I'll agree to your daft plan. You seem sure he's changed, and if their son is as open as you say he is then they can't be too bad. I'll have Mum keep Lily for dinner tonight.”

He cleared his throat and they both turned to look at him, as he held his hands out. “Are you ready for dinner, Mum, Dad?”

They both nodded, released each other, and after his mum had informed Grandma about her being away for dinner, held his hands once he tossed the Floo powder in and called out the destination. They all went through, his dad only stumbling a little, and he grinned widely as his dad dusted himself off, the soft grey trousers that went with the midnight blue top he was wearing not really needing the action very much. Then his dad walked over to the couch that Draco and Astoria were standing up from, and he extended his hand. “Hello, I'm Harry Potter. I'd like to be friends, if you're amenable to it.”

There was a hint of a challenge to the tone, and Draco responded to it with a full on smirk, taking his dad's hand and shaking it firmly. “Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Draco Malfoy. This is my wife, Astoria Malfoy, née Greengrass.”

His dad kissed her hand politely, then his mum and Score's were introduced, and they started up a friendly conversation, as the group headed towards the table. Scorpius had evidently already told Winky what to prepare beforehand, as when the other boy clapped for her, the table was piled with high-class foods that the Malfoys probably ate rather regularly. The war hadn't crippled them too much, as Albus' dad had kept them from being persecuted as much as possible, even though he didn't do anything to try and stop Score's grandfather from a term in Azkaban – which both Score and Albus agreed was probably a good thing, since his grandfather was a rather nasty and cruel person and had deserved to be punished for his actions.

Draco was the head of the family because of that, now, and his parents lived outside the Manor in their own home that Scorpius had admitted to Al that he didn't even remember what it looked like or what the name of the place was, since it had been so long since he visited them and only his grandmother was allowed access to him; even then it was only at his own home or on outings that he saw her.

Ah, right, food! Albus and Scorpius each sat in an end seat, with their mothers in the middle and their fathers on the opposite end of the table. They chatted between themselves as the adults conversed, and his mum and Astoria were seeming to become fast friends, having many common interests even though they fervently disagreed on some things. Similarly, his dad and Draco seemed to have an awful lot in common now, and they talked amicably, so while things were a bit tense and slightly uncomfortable to begin with, overall the dinner was fairly pleasant and happy. When it ended, they all stayed in the Room for a while, continuing their conversations as Al and Score played with the fish in the table, stroking their sides and fins and overall just being kids.

It was nice that Scorpius' dad had changed so much that he allowed his son to be a child without chiding him. Maybe it was because Draco had never been able to do that, and he wanted to make sure his son didn't repeat his mistakes. Whatever the reason, it was a good thing, especially as one of the Centaurs (she called herself Rhiannon) ran up to the autumn wall and spoke to him and Score, and they ended up having a good half hour of conversation about the stars and life in the Forest with the being (technically, Magical Creature, but Al thought it was insulting to call _fully sentient beings_ Creatures). Well, beings, plural, because several curious onlookers had come up to give them their input.

Albus rather thought that now the both of them would end up having a strong interest in Astronomy, because it was _fascinating_.

Finally the adults took their leave, and then Scorpius showed Al one of the ways to get to the dungeons and stay hidden once they reached a specific hall on this floor. They reached their room, which had a separate entrance than the common room, as well as an entrance joining the hall that led to the common room, so they could go in whichever way they were comfortable with. The Headmistress had really gone all out with consideration to his particular problem, but to be honest Albus thought that it might have been the castle itself that did it. Just like the Room was sentient, at least a bit, the Hogwarts castle seemed to be much the same way, and Albus thought that once a need was presented to it it would try and fill it.

He said as much to Score, who hummed thoughtfully as they climbed onto their beds and began to make plans for tomorrow. “Yeah, that sounds about right. We don't know for sure, of course, but it certainly wouldn't be a surprise with how old this place is and how much magic is constantly here. Just the Room itself could be a manifestation of part of a larger sentience.”

“Score, you're only eleven. You shouldn't know words like manifestation.”

“Says the boy who properly used the word ostracism just earlier today.”

They both laughed as Al responded, “We both just read a lot and are better educated than most kids our age, then.”

Scorpius haughtily lifted his head. “Of course. Malfoys must be extraordinary, and have extraordinary friends. Even if you weren't already so, I'd make sure you became so.”

Really, Albus couldn't even be offended at that, because he was so pleased that Score thought he was extraordinary rather than dull, and that he was worth the effort Scorpius was willing to put into the friendship. Especially since the effort he would have to put in, considering Albus' disability, was _far more_ than what he'd need to do for a normal person. “Thanks, Score.”

They smiled, and then prepared for bed after making plans for tomorrow.

\- - -

This was an unmitigated _disaster_. Scorpius had to remedy this complete and utter mistake (mistake was too weak a word, honestly –  catastrophe was more suitable by far, for certain) of a situation immediately, and do so in such a way that wouldn't get him scolded by the adults, and would also make more people respect him. However, he was at a loss for how to keep the mob away or somehow help Al's hearing before he managed the former.

Finally, he spied a candle above him and an idea sparked to life in his mind. He Summoned it, and made it burn faster, Levitating the molten wax before it could disappear as it usually did and cooling it until it was malleable, then pushing it into his friend's ears. Al looked _so_ relieved, and near tears, that Scorpius felt he could finally confront the mob that was impeding their trip to the Slytherin dining table.

See, last night they had decided breakfast would be the best time, since they both woke up earlier than most people probably did, for Al's second meal in the Great Hall. Once they had gone into the common room and explained about Al's hearing problem, it had seemed even better an idea – the Slytherins were a tight-knit bunch even though mostly the friendships were more like alliances. Still, they took care of their own, and the older students protected the younger ones, and they had said they would spread it around and try to keep themselves quieter when he was in the room with them.

The day had started out so _promising_. But talking to the others had meant they got to breakfast just as the big rush came in, and he and Albus had been immediately mobbed by students clamouring to meet them and question them, and Scorpius was positive that Albus was about to have a  massive panic attack. The wax trick had helped though, and finally Scorpius yelled, at an impressive volume for his age. “BE QUIET!”

The room silenced, and he sent everyone but the Slytherins, who were not in the mob, a stunningly vicious glare, before turning towards the teachers’ table. “Headmistress McGonagall, please forgive me of that, but as you can see, this has to be stopped. I can understand that you didn't mention it before now, but I think everyone in the school should know why Albus Severus has a hard time with noise. And now I think I am taking him back to our room and we'll eat breakfast there. Maybe we can manage lunch or dinner in here today since breakfast was obviously beyond impossible.”

She nodded at him and sent him a grateful smile, which gave him an odd, but very warm, feeling, and he took Al's hand and led him through the crowd and showed the other boy another secret way to the dungeons. Now they both knew two ways to get to necessary places.

He didn't make Albus do anything at all. He had taken the wax out once they were back in their room, but aside from asking the other boy what he wanted for breakfast, he was doing absolutely no speaking. Instead, he fished through his trunk until he came up with just the thing he needed. “Al, drink this.”

Last night once Al was asleep, he had gone to Madame Pomfrey's office and asked her for several bottles of Calming Draught, explaining about Al's tendency to panic when he was confronted, in addition to the hearing problem. She had been made aware of it of course, but Scorpius explained that he wanted some for if they needed to retreat to their room rather than risk coming to the nurse's office and making the problem worse with more encounters. She readily agreed, and had given Scorpius four bottles, telling him it was the most she would give him, but when he was down to one bottle she would give him three more.

So now soon Albus would be calming down, and he risked clapping for Winky, ordering their breakfasts, and sending her off with an order for some hot chocolate for Al as well as pumpkin juice. When she returned Al went at the food as if he was starving, which he very well might be, seeing as how late it was, and they both chatted for a while until Al decided he could handle the common room. Scorpius eyed him and deemed himself satisfied that the other boy wasn't pushing himself, so they exited towards the common room and began some conversation with their Housemates and yearmates.

There was loads of potential here for gathering minions, frankly. Even amongst the older years, lots of his father's business associates and clients for his potions business had told their children to try to associate with Scorpius, and some were just awed by Albus, being a Potter child in Slytherin. So he figured by his seventh year he'd basically be the beacon, along with Al, of the entire House. A good show that Slytherin was better than their reputation, and a worthy House to be in, respected by more than just Slytherins themselves.

Yes, that was a wonderful and potentially life-changing dream he intended to achieve.

So far, despite the rather upsetting incident in the Great Hall, the day was looking like it would turn out fairly good; especially if he could get Albus in the Room or out in the Forest again. He knew it was called the _Forbidden_ Forest for a reason, and a good one, but frankly he didn't care about that. Some rules were made for breaking, and when he had asked Harry about Werewolves living in the Forest like he had heard about, Harry had responded that he doubted they did, but that some actual wolves probably did, somewhere deep within. Scorpius was not minded to ignore the warning, but that just meant they had to be careful – besides even if there _were_ Werewolves in the Forest, they would only be a real problem on full moon nights.

Come lunchtime, the Common Room emptied, except for Al and himself, who had eaten too recently for a proper meal right now. They would likely just have a snack between now and dinner. Once he and Al were back in their room, he turned to the other boy, “What do you want to do today? We've gotten our mingling done with for now, and I'm not minded to have you go to the Great Hall again today.”

Al winced at that, and Scorpius laid his hand over the other boy's hand, recognising the guilty look in his eyes. That was the look of someone who usually blamed themselves for things that went wrong because they were different than everyone else; he'd seen people like that before on the telly that one of his Muggleborn music teachers had – sometimes he'd stayed with Miss Joelle when his parents went on trips and his grandmother couldn't come to the Manor to watch him. She was one of Mother's few close friends.

“It wasn't your fault, if anything it was the Headmistress' fault for not explaining about your hearing disability and tendency to have anxiety or panic attacks before now. But I don't trust them not to act like fools again, so we can rather well just wait until tomorrow and do what we planned today – an early breakfast. We might do that, say, every other day, and then an early dinner every other day too? We can eat the remaining meals in our room, the Room of Requirement, or an abandoned room close to the class following the meal, and spend lots of time in the library. Father says Madam Pince enforces the quiet in there with an iron fist so that'll be a safe place for us to hang out, too.”

He'd had plenty of time to figure this all out, but even if he hadn't, Scorpius was a quick thinker and would have come up with a plan like it when the occasion merited it, and only within minutes rather than taking a long time to do so. As it was he'd had since breakfast to think about this, excluding the time they spent in the Common Room – he wasn't practised enough yet at thinking of one thing whilst talking about another, and since he wanted to become the eventual leader of their House, he'd needed to actually _focus_ on his conversations he had with others. Scorpius gave Albus an encouraging grin and waited for a response.

\- - -

…Albus had to admit, he'd half blamed himself for the breakfast incident, but obviously his best friend disagreed with that, considering his reaction when he saw the guilty look that Albus _knew_ he wore a little too often. He was just _so_ used to thinking of his problems as being the real issue and inconveniencing everyone else, that it was a bit of a shock to find that it might not actually be seen that way by Scorpius. He didn't blame Al, but the Headmistress, even!

But Albus didn't allow himself to become too shocked by it, and listened earnestly to Score's well-thought out plan. He had to admit, it was reasonable. His dad had discussed doing something similar, but Albus hadn't really thought about it very much until just, because he hadn't been being smart like he knew he could be. He'd been too absorbed in having a friend who _understood_ him, who was so much like him, that he'd not been thinking too far into the future. It was a mistake he  couldn't let happen again.

Albus had been put in Slytherin House for a reason, and that was his cunning and cleverness and slyness. It was because he was loyal and brave when he wanted to be, but preferred to be sneaky and work his way through things without resorting to bravery and loyalty when it hadn't been **earned** by anyone. Yeah, Score had earned both of those things quicker than anyone else in his life, even his dad. But he had let it overwhelm him and hadn't been thinking clearly for it.

From now on, he would do his best not to make that mistake again, no matter that his Housemates also understood and wished to protect and be loyal to him, even if they had their own sly reasons for doing so.

He respected them all the more for that, of course. A self-serving person could be trusted in a way that a “completely” loyal person couldn't be. Because complete loyalty was honestly incredibly difficult to actually attain and come by, they could always turn on you for no reason that seemed sensible – his dad had made sure he was aware of that fact, mentioning the time during the Triwizard Tournament when Uncle Ron had turned his back on him even though he hadn't done anything to merit such an action. But a selfishly loyal person could always be counted on to pull back their loyalty the moment things stopped going their way.

He had Scorpius' loyalty because he had _earned_ it, and because Score wanted to be different to his father just like Al did. They were remarkably similar, and while that was a novelty, he wouldn't let it get in the way of thinking straight again. If he did he deserved all the trouble that it got him, because he was being _stupid_ about things.

With a smile, he nodded at Scorpius. “That sounds like a very good plan, Score. I'm glad you're willing to do this with me, because it'd be awfully lonely otherwise, and while I'm used to loneliness, I'd rather not have to be used to it, y'know?”

Score nodded at him solemnly. “I know that feeling, and I figure that cementing our friendship this year and still managing to earn the friendship and loyalty of our Housemates is important. But the first it is the most important, Father made that clear. I made my choice on the train and I am sticking with it, even if it means taking more time to get to know my Housemates in order to do so.”

There was that selfishness he adored. “Yes, exactly, I feel the same way. Say, what's your goal in regards to your minions?”

Scorpius looked incredibly pleased with his query, and responded promptly, wasting no time and talking as if he'd been contemplating the very same thing for ages now, which he might very well have done, considering that he'd been certain he would have them no matter which House he ended up in, from how he talked to Albus in the carriage. “I want to become a beacon. I want to be one of the people who proves that Slytherins deserve respect and can be smart, loyal, and brave as well as sneaky, clever, and self-serving. I want to make other people realise that Slytherin traits are **important** to have, and not to be shunned or shied away from. By our seventh year I intend to lead the House, even though I'm not sure I want to be Head Boy or a Prefect. I don't know if I want to lead them so literally. I think I want to influence them without _having_ to take on a visible, tangible mantle of leadership position. I want to be followed because they want to follow me, not because they feel they have to.”

It was a good, clear, well thought out answer. And then Score surprised Albus again. “And I want you right by my side, leading with me. Following me and being my ally and friend and co-leader. Obviously not as openly as I am the leader, but I want you to be the power behind the throne, my advisor, my other example that Slytherin should be respected and looked well upon rather than with disdain like it is now.”

Merlin, Scorpius sounded so much older than he was. Albus got that a lot too though, and he suspected it would strongly aid them in this endeavour because the older students would have no _choice_ but to look up to two such intelligent and shining examples of what Slytherin was supposed to be. They might be younger, but they were obviously smart, clever, and had lots of common sense, so there was no shame in acknowledging those things.

Albus might have been scared of being in Slytherin at first, but after how he had been treated by his Housemates today, he fully intended to embrace his fate.

Smiling a bit shyly, he nodded and commented back, “That sounds _perfect_.”

A triumphant grin lit up his best friend's face, and they sat down together on Albus' bed to determine what to do with the rest of their day.

\- - -

Albus _wanted_ his plan! Scorpius had no idea how much he had worried that his friend might still be a little too Gryffindor (he had indeed shown many Gryffindor traits to Scorpius since they had met, after all) to accept the plan he had formulated ever since even before he came to Hogwarts. He hadn't been certain where he would be Sorted, excepting it wouldn't be Gryffindor, but he knew that most people saw all the other Houses inferior to Gryffindor, and had determined that he would make  whatever House he ended up in into a shining example that Gryffindor was not the only House to be admired. It had just been even better when what was the exact opposite of the “best” House had been where he was placed. The icing on the cake, so to speak.

If Slytherin could be shown as a respectable House by others than those who typically had Slytherin ideals, then _all_ the other Houses would end up with more respect and admiration in the end. Yes, it would probably still be nowhere near as much as they deserved, but if he could prove that there was no true “best” House, then he could do something that would change not just how people looked at him because he was Slytherin, but change the perceptions of the entire British Wizarding community.

What higher aspiration could he have than _that_?

But now was not the time to take pride in his victory. It was the time to plan the rest of the day. “Hey, why don't we go to the library and meet Madam Pince? I've heard she's prickly, but the teachers all know about your disability…”

There was no use denying that for Al, his sensitive hearing might be a blessing sometimes, but it was a damn disability much of the time, especially in a place like Hogwarts with loads of loud students. Scorpius was actually a little surprised that Al was even in Hogwarts but suspected that if he'd gotten private schooling it might make him feel inferior or seed resentment amongst the rest of his family. Harry had been smart in deciding to make sure that Al was accommodated at Hogwarts rather than treating his son _too_ differently. “So she might actually loosen up towards us and give us more leeway since she'll know that we, at least, will never get so loud that she has to reprimand us.”

Albus gave him a grin that was nothing short of conniving, and he was a bit shocked that his friend could manage a look like _that_ already, when he seemed so… Scorpius couldn't define the innocent and honest quality that Albus carried around with him. It pervaded his entire being, and he gave off a feeling of earnestness that would have, if his actions and words hadn't proved otherwise on the train, made Scorpius think that there was no way this boy could be in Slytherin. But he leaned closer and eagerly awaited the words that would fall from the green eyed boy's lips, because with a look like _that_ on his face, he was surely going to come out with something  amazing.

“Maybe if we're good enough and get enough into her good books, she'll allow us access to things we shouldn't have access to as early as we'd ask for them. Especially if we can make sure to seem very adult and mature around her; if we can to our Housemates like we did earlier, it should be a breeze with an adult.”

Oh, that was bloody _brilliant_. Albus Severus Potter was a  sneaky, _clever_ _genius_. Of course it would probably take a couple years, but Albus hadn't intimated that he intended it to happen soon, just eventually.

“Merlin, you're good. I don't know that I would have thought of that as fast as you did!”

Al blushed with pleasure, and they nodded to each other, each grabbing some of the books for their classes tomorrow – might as well get started reading so they knew more than their classmates, after all; it would be good to give that intelligent, mature impression to all their professors, so they could get away with more things. He mentioned that to Al as they headed towards the library and Al smirked at him, nodding. “I was thinking along the same lines. We can get away with more if the adults think we're more mature than getting into things we shouldn't be like most of the kids our age.”

They shared a laugh and finally made it to their destination, quietly approaching the large desk that Madam Pince sat behind. Scorpius wisely let his best friend lead this encounter. Albus stepped forward and smiled softly at the older woman, a smile that seemed bright, earnest, and completely guileless. Scorpius wondered if looking like that just came natural to Al or if it was an act. He suspected the former, actually; yeah, Al was most definitely a Slytherin, but he was a bit young to have practised his smiling like that, especially when he hadn't even known if he wanted to be in Slytherin until after he was on the train.

“Hello Madam Pince.”

Al's voice was quiet and soft, but clear as well, and steady. Good. Showing no weakness despite his obvious breakdown earlier – that would be even more impressive to any adult.

“I'm Albus Severus and I just wanted to introduce myself and my best friend to you and reassure you that we won't be giving you any trouble whatsoever; Scorpius is aware of my issues and very careful of them. I figured you might like to know that at least two of the students here will always respect your rules and be quiet in your sacred space.”

Again, Scorpius was struck with how damn _good_ Albus was at this sort of thing. It  had to come naturally to him, but he obviously had no compunctions now about using it for Slytherin purposes. Scorpius really could not ever have made a better friend. Especially when prickly, stern, and strict Madam Pince actually _smiled at them_!

“It's nice to meet the both of you. I have been made aware of your hearing disorder, Mr. Potter, and I am pleased to see that you will not have a feud with Mr. Malfoy like your father did with the Malfoy in his years here. That will definitely cut down on any risk of you accidentally being goaded into disobedience of our rules in the library. I will do my best to be more strict about enforcing quiet when you are in here, and to do it without raising my voice too much as well.”

Al responded with a little bow that seemed and looked and felt completely genuine, then smiled up at her, gratefulness shining in his whole face. “Thank you so very much, Madam Pince. I don't wish to inconvenience you at all but I admit, I would be eternally grateful for you doing that. I hope for the library to become a sanctuary; everywhere else in the school has a tendency to get so _loud_ , you know?”

She nodded sagely at him and smiled again, nodding to Scorpius. “I saw the incident this morning, and it was gracefully handled, Mr. Malfoy. I am pleased that Mr. Potter has a friend and protector who is clever and who knows that brute force is not always the way to handle things.”

Scorpius allowed himself to flush with pleasure at the compliment, and responded with all the grace he had been taught growing up, “Thank you very kindly, Madam Pince. I am glad to see that I didn't mishandle the situation, especially because you know so much more than me about how things like that should be handled, having to keep unruly students quiet in your library. Obviously, I will not be raising my voice either, as I do not wish to cause my best friend any pain, nor do I wish to interrupt the studies of other students.”

He got a smile from her as well, and she nodded at them, before they departed into the furthest part of the library, which was completely empty seeing as it was lunchtime on a Sunday. They kept their voices low and quiet enough that the library matron wouldn't even think to listen in, and congratulated each other on actually piercing that stern shell she had enough that they _both_ got smiled at and praised by her.

\- - -

Studying in the library was refreshing. As much as Albus loved to be outside and to swim and to sneak around places, he also loved to read with the same intensity as he liked the other things he liked to do – if not more intensity. The only disappointment was that the books for this year were obviously made for eleven year olds to read, and Albus and Score both were far ahead of their age in reading levels.

They both lamented the fact, even as they stuck their heads together to contemplate passages that had the information they needed. Score sighed and complained softly to Al, “If only the language wasn't so _dim_ this would be much more interesting to read. It's such a shame that not everyone has the education that you and I have had; the school would be far better off if they had… Although it **is** rather a good thing for us since it means we'll stand out.”

Albus nodded at that, and commented back, “Look at it this way, once we read through these we can write lists of questions that are more mature than the writing in the books is, and impress the teachers when we trade off with them. Of course, we can't just ask _all_ the questions, but we can get interesting conversations going and make ourselves seem more advanced than everyone else. I mean, we both know we already _are_ , but we do still have lots to learn, and we're both quick studies, so it shouldn't be too hard to worm our way into the good graces of the adults without seeming like teacher's pets.”

Scorpius was studying him now, and Albus just smiled and waited for whatever he was about to ask. “How in Merlin’s name did you ever manage to be _worried_ about being in Slytherin when you're so  obviously suited for it?”

Oh. Well that was easy enough to answer, really. Or maybe it only felt that way because Score was such a good friend and he knew the question was not malicious or mean-hearted in any way. “Consider my hearing, and that I have a very Gryffindor family, and that most of them have nothing good to say about Slytherins. And they loudly denounce them any time they get pissed. And that James constantly poked and prodded at me about it, speaking loudly like he usually does. Him being as quiet as he was at our table is something that has literally never happened before then, he's _always_ loud, even when he's not speaking. His mere presence is usually just the same as if he's shouting in your ear.”

His words got a thoughtful gaze from the other boy, who then firmly nodded. “And loudness makes you feel like you're being confronted, which sets off the anxiety and eventually gives you a panic attack. Okay that makes much more sense to me now. And now I am going to ask that if we're ever talked to about a prank, whether we did it or not, you be the one to deny them for now. Because you are an absolute _natural_ at looking innocent and above reproach, I swear to Merlin it's _absurd_. I think it's more of a surprise that anybody ever guessed you'd be in Slytherin with some of the looks you can pull! I mean, I can pull innocent looks, and will do so, but it'll take a while before people separate me from my father, whereas you are a Potter and a paragon of goodness just by instinct, because they won't think about your House when you look so much like your dad.”

Albus had to grin at that. He'd gotten away with an awful lot of his tricks because of that, even when they knew he had to be the only one who could have done them. It didn't hurt that they were usually payback anyway, Albus rarely pulled pranks or things on specific people unless they'd done something to him first, and his dad understood why Albus would want revenge so long as he didn't go too far. And Albus was _always_ careful never to make his payback over the line. “I think I can handle that, even if it means I need a potion afterwards. If we get confronted too much maybe we'll get lucky and I'll just start having an attack – seeing me crying pretty much renders any adult incapable of punishing me, and I think if you scold them for it they'll feel really guilty over it.”

Scorpius frowned and wrinkled his nose at the idea of a panic attack being “lucky” but in the end reluctantly agreed with Albus, like Albus had known the other boy would. It would be unpleasant, yeah, but if they got out of detentions, then it was worth it. “I think even Uncle Sev would be fooled by the act you can put upon… Or, well, act isn't the right term since it isn't as if you've purposely practised it, it just comes naturally to you. But still, your mannerisms could probably even make _him_ feel guilty of suspecting you, and that's a hard thing to manage. The rest of the teachers here don't have a chance.”

He chuckled and shook his head at that, “I'm glad to see you have such confidence in me, but we shan't be relying on it all the time or we'll get found out. We'll have to pull off our stunts without getting caught as much as possible. Which should be easier since I have the Cloak and none of the teachers know I have it. I think the first thing I want to do, though, is something that doesn't need it. What about a prank that makes the Gryffindors look foolish but is so harmless that we couldn't even get in trouble for it if they _did_ catch us? I'm thinking that a spell that my uncle George taught me would be good for it, especially since none of my family knows just what all he's taught me.”

Uncle George had good and bad days, but on his good days he was one of the few people that Albus felt a kinship with, because they were both tricksters at heart – James was a prankster but unsubtle and didn't regard it as an art. Uncle George saw it as a finely tuned art and had been pleasantly astonished when Albus had asked him to teach him some of the tricks that he and his dead twin had gotten up to whilst they were in Hogwarts.

Most people never talked about Uncle Fred. Or did anything that might remind Uncle George about him, which in Albus' esteem was a stupid thing to do. He lost the person who was literally his other half – not talking about it wouldn't change the past, and wasn't it better for Uncle George to be reminded of all the good times than to be stuck forever lamenting his loss? His uncle had seemed to know where Albus was coming from, and had taken it upon himself to teach him far more than just what he requested, initiating him into the art of being a _true_ trickster and giving him some  wonderful pranks. Right now Albus was thinking of a spell that could be placed on food covering a large general area and would change an aspect of anyone who ate the food.

It was simple to do things like, for instance… “I know a spell that I could place on the food on the Gryffindor table that would turn the hair of anyone who eats the food any colour I want. Well, anything about them, really, but the hair would be the most obvious and easy to do, and it only lasts twenty four hours so it wouldn't be a huge disruption if we did it, say, on a Friday night.”

“You mean like turning their hair green with silver streaks?”

Oh, but it _was_ lovely to have someone whose mind could follow his so easily. Especially when Score pointed out what could be a flaw if Uncle George hadn't taught him to counter _that_ too. “But what about your magical signature?”

“I know a spell that erases it from the spell you say after it, and I can Summon a roll or something in case they use Prior Incantato.”

“Damn but you're good at this.”

Albus couldn't help the pleased smirk he got at those words being given to him, and then went about describing the spell to Scorpius, mentioning that he'd never actually done it before, but thought they could practise on each other (there _was_ a counterspell to dispel it early, and Albus _had_ done that before, lots, because Uncle George showed Albus a bunch of the variations and someone affected by the spell couldn't use the counterspell even if they'd been the one who put the spell on the food) so they could both do the spell and make it more effective, and in case the spell to erase their magical signatures messed up, it'd be more difficult to determine who did the spell if it was two of them together. Actually it would be near impossible to disentangle it if they managed to do it properly simultaneously, because then it would seem as if their magical signatures were just one. Albus knew it was a long shot that they'd be so suited that they had compatible magic that made them more able to work in time like that – and besides, even if they did it wouldn't show up until they were grown – or that they would be able to practise it enough if they wanted to do the prank soon.

He brought that up, and Score hummed a little bit, then grinned. “Why don't we wait, like you're trying to keep from suggesting.”

Al flushed slightly at that, but it was true and Score continued on without any rancour or harshness to his voice, “And practise a whole lot in our free time and during lunch, so that we _know_ we can do it perfectly in time. It'll only help us in the future, even if we end up doing jobs different to each other, because we won't only be doing those things and if we want to live with each other your aunt will have a right fit if we keep some of the Malfoy house elves around like Father will allow or probably encourage me to. We don't have to  not keep them but we should know plenty of household upkeep spells for when she visits, at least, and they'll be so much more effective if we can do them together like that.”

He understood what Scorpius was trying to say in a roundabout way; they could impress her and make it seem like they always used the spells whether they did or not, if they could simultaneously cast them together strongly. “That's a great idea, Score. It'll make us more competent too, at working with other people; which we might have to do if we go into certain trades.”

Score smiled brilliantly at him and nodded, “Exactly. It would make us better suited for more careers if we can do that. And it'll make the professors at school more impressed if we can work with each other so closely, so that they'll pair us together more often than not.”

“Oh I didn't even think about that. It means less of a chance of them pairing us with someone whom we dislike or who dislikes us. Or someone who is pants at whatever subject is being taught and would drag us down.”

“Yes. I would rather be paired with you than anyone else, anyway. So this would be a great way to start practising doing our spells like that. If we can do more advanced spells like that then we'll very easily be able to do simple ones, although we ought to practise those too just in case.”

Albus nodded to him in agreement. “Definitely. Do you want to start practise now? We could get a snack and go to our room to practise? I think we've studied enough and we can work on the spells we know together and the ones we don't know both together and separately so that we don't depend on each other too much to learn them.”

“Good idea, Al. Let's go get started, then.”

Albus and Scorpius gathered up their books and waved to Madam Pince on their way out, then Albus showed him another way to get to the kitchens as they grabbed a snack and made arrangements for dinner to arrive at a certain time in case they forgot to summon Winky because of being wrapped up in their practise. Which was actually highly likely because Albus and Score both tended to lose track of time when they did things they enjoyed. Then they went back to their room and began practising their spells together.

What they did was practise casting the ones they already knew well together for one hour, then they practised new ones for an hour, both together and separately but separately first. Sometimes one of them corrected the other on a pronunciation or wand movement, despite them working on different spells as they learned them. By the time dinner arrived they could cast four spells together with ease, with a countdown. After dinner they kept working, and by the time they stopped for the night and headed to bed they could cast those four spells just by looking at each other, reading their partner's body language to know when they were about to begin to cast.

It was hard, but satisfying, work.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Albus took a bite of the chocolate bar he had been handed, and waited. This was the second try that Uncle Sev (Albus had gotten to know him well enough that he shared the nickname that Draco and Score did with the man, with not even any masking grumbling; instead the hard man had seemed pleased when Albus had tentatively asked him if he could call him that) and Madam Pomfrey had made to try and help his hearing – the first had dulled it too much for too long, so they had scaled things back and changed the brewing around until they felt they had found a suitable variation. It ought to last an hour, and dull his hearing to slightly above normal – normal was too big of a difference and left Albus feeling a keen loss.

Sure enough, as he waited, his hearing slowly dulled, and when Scorpius raised his voice to what the people in the Great Hall usually kept at, Albus grinned brightly at him when it didn't set him off or make him feel any pain whatsoever. “We'll have to make sure of the length, but thank you so much Uncle Sev, Madam Pomfrey, this is the perfect level of what I feel comfortable at when I want my hearing dulled.”

Uncle Sev had a smug look on his face, and Madam Pomfrey a satisfied one on hers, and Headmistress McGonagall just seemed obviously relieved. His dad was there too, as he had been the last time, and hugged him tightly before Score pounced on him and hugged him as well. He laughed and bounced a bit, holding the precious bar of chocolate to himself. “Assuming that the length of time this affects you is comfortable for you, we shall save this recipe and make a good store for you to keep in your room. I am absolutely positive that you will not become dependent on it in any way. Especially as you prefer your normal hearing levels to the lessened levels.”

Al nodded his head fervently in agreement. “This will make it so I can watch Quidditch in the crowds and make eating more comfortable, and I'll keep it with me in case other situations that are unexpected come up that I need it for, but I'm definitely not sacrificing my hearing for it. It's kept me safe a couple times this year already.”

The adults already knew about that; until James had threatened to beat anybody to a pulp who bothered Albus, there were some groups of Gryffindors who had thought it might be a good idea to bully him, but as they neared where he was he always heard them talking about it and coming towards him, so he found a good hiding place (except once, and they had sorely regretted their beating him up once he got back at the bullies by means of a good prank that made them severely uncomfortable for a few days) and had, after the first time, kept his cloak in his bag to make the hiding more easy.

James had a lot of sway in his House, though, and for the most part the potential bullying of Albus himself (unfortunately not the other Slytherins, which was a shame) had stopped. It helped that after the first time Score had refused to let Albus wander around separately from him very often. But Point Me was not too difficult a spell to learn, so there had been and would likely still be some trouble despite their precautions.

Score gripped his hand at that mention though, and nodded, a stern light in his silvery eyes. “And we won't be leaving here until this is worn off, for more reasons than just making sure how long it takes so more can be made.”

He caught the unsubtle hint and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, for sure. But this will make the meals I attend more comfortable.”

His dad nodded but the Headmistress looked at him in surprise, tilting her head a bit. “You will not begin to attend more meals if this does indeed work out as planned?”

Albus and Scorpius both shook their heads. “We use our solitary meals to study and practise so that we don't fall behind in our studies, Headmistress, and now that a routine of sorts has been made it would be strange to alter it this year.”

“Yeah, next year maybe I'll eat breakfast and dinner in the Great Hall but I'll still eat lunch alone with Score, and this year I'm not changing this because it's helping keep my grades as good as they are.”

They were in the top ten in most of their classes; not _the_ top, that tended to be Rose, but not far from the top, because of their intense studying. Of course, they did more than just study; so far five general pranks (and many, _many_ more payback pranks) had been successfully pulled off this year and no one had even thought to look towards them, which was both good news _and_ a good sign of how their public appearances seemed to be. Their good behaviour with Madam Pince had paid off already too, shockingly enough, as she let them check out Astronomy books that were usually for the upper year students.

All in all this year was a highly successful year, and though it was almost over, Albus and Scorpius had already made plans to meet up together over the summer, and even go with each other on family vacations; Albus was going to Spain with Score and Score was going to Romania to visit Uncle Charlie with Al and his immediate family. The Weasleys weren't going with them because Uncle Ron was still being a git about Score and his family, not as bad as he was at first but more than he had any right to be. His dad knew better than to incite a riot by having Score come along on a family trip with _everyone_ going with them. Rose might go though, because she and Score had become friends too, just like Al had predicted on the train.

That would only be if Aunt Hermione could convince her husband though, which would be difficult and was highly improbable.

The rest of the time (and they had been right, the effect lasted almost exactly one hour, the “almost” being there because that included the few minutes of it kicking in and then wearing off) was spent with them chatting amicably; Score and Albus talking to Uncle Sev about the potions theory that went into making the chocolate, Dad talking to the Headmistress, and Madam Pomfrey bustling about. There was just a month left of school, and eventually Scorpius and Albus wanted to be able to make the chocolate on their own so they didn't have to rely on someone else to make it for them. A trip or three would be made during the summer to keep stock of the chocolate, and then whenever Albus needed more during the school years until he could brew it himself, he would just go to the Infirmary like Score so kindly did to keep a stock of Calming Draught up. That had become a staple in his life as well, because despite their precautions Albus still frequently got caught up in loud crowds and had panic attacks.

It would be happening less frequently though, they hoped, with this new solution.

Albus was carefully handling his wrapped chocolate bar as they took a secret way to the dungeons, one they were both well acquainted with by now. Then they headed to their room and opened the curtains that had been recently installed in their rooms – Uncle Sev had kindly suggested that he could help them learn their spells and potions and such better if they didn't have to go to his inner sanctum in order to get advice, and so his dad and Draco had gotten together, commissioned a portrait of Uncle Sev that was spelled so only one painting could enter it, and had a suitable picture painted – one of a comfortable room with bookshelves along one side, a cauldron on the other side with shelves of potions ingredients above and to each side of it, and a chair of the kind Uncle Sev favoured in front of a warm fireplace.

It had been expensive, but it had worked, and had been their joint Christmas present from both families; needless to say that Scorpius and him had both been pleased beyond belief and not given a damn that they didn't get anything else from their parents. This way they could take their informally adopted great-uncle with them even when they left Hogwarts and got a flat together; which was their plan at this stage. They might be young, but they knew that they wanted to live together, even if both of them ended up in relationships by then; their girlfriends or boyfriends or however it worked out could just deal with having a shared space with another couple.

And deal with always being second place compared to each other, because there was no way in hell that anyone else could ever have as strong of a bond with them as they did each other.

As to their other plans, well; those were working out stunningly well. All of the Slytherin first years and even many people from the older grades looked up to them as perfect examples of how great Slytherin House had the potential to be, and Score and Albus himself had both amassed huge followings. They didn't give these people names; it had been decided to wait until fourth year to call them minions, to only call them that jokingly and between themselves, and that they wouldn't call them anything before then unless they were absolutely positive nobody else was around that might overhear them. They didn't want these people to feel that much lesser than them or degraded compared to them, but they did want to be recognised as leaders. And it was already happening; Thursday nights were spent in a Slytherin study group in an abandoned classroom where _all_ of the students in their year had input and could play to each others strengths and learn from each other. They had a smart bunch of kids this year, and hopefully would have an even smarter bunch next year.

That was another thing that they had decided to do; set up tutoring for the lower years with the older years, and it had begun as soon as they suggested it, generally the year above any given year tutoring the year below them on Friday nights. Similarly the idea of group studies had been picked up, and an entire hall of empty classrooms was taken up by Slytherin House on Thursday evenings. On Fridays they used the common room so that any person who needed tutoring could get it from someone capable of giving it, and the sessions lasted two hours, so there was still plenty of time for games and drinking and other such normal goings-on.

All in all, the Slytherins had become a more tight-knit bunch and many alliances had begun to blossom into true friendships because they could see that the friendship between Albus and Score enhanced their interactions rather than detracted from them as many a Slytherin had thought it would.

Word had spread about this, and the Ravenclaws for sure were picking up similar habits; they didn't know more about Gryffindor or Hufflepuff Houses, but Slytherins and Ravenclaws had always got on best among the Houses to begin with. Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors tended to stay amongst themselves, more often than not.

As they sat on Albus' bed that night, they discussed the changes animatedly, both of them shocked that they had been able to influence the House in such a short period of time, until Uncle Sev tolerantly reminded them of their lineages.

Scorpius was the one to ask what he meant, with, “I can understand Al, because he's a Potter child, but even though the Malfoy name wasn't tarnished as much as it could have been, we did lose prestige during the last war, and even if our names had so much influence, we're still first years.”

“Yes, Scorpius, but it isn't just one or the other of you who is working towards these goals you have. The both of you, the two sons of the most famous rivals Hogwarts has seen in decades, being best friends, supporting each other, and working together in these endeavours; you cannot comprehend what an impression that has had even amongst the faculty of this school. Never have two first years made such an impact on this school, not even Potter's making the Quidditch team in the first year can compare to this. Which reminds me, certain people have been wondering if with your talents on brooms you will be joining your House team next year?”

“Oh _hell_ no.”

They both said it simultaneously and then burst into laughter afterwards.

\- - -

“I might, if there were Seeker vs. Seeker games alone, but Quidditch is bloody dangerous, and neither of us, Albus nor I, want to join a game that could smash our skulls in. Besides, we'd both undoubtedly be worthy of the title of Seeker and would rather not risk an argument because one of us got picked and the other didn't.”

Uncle Sev turned his eyes to Al and Scorpius knew immediately what he'd ask. “You feel the same way, I presume?”

“Oh, definitely, Uncle Sev. Quidditch is fun to watch but far too dangerous to play, and like Score said, both of us would qualify for Seeker; we've taken the school brooms out with a practise Snitch Dad gave me a year ago and we're equally matched in that regard. Our games almost always end in ties. I can't tell you how many times Score and I caught the Snitch together, and since we always play games of five in a row, unless there isn't time for it, when we tally up the total it's always either a tie or just one game off. I'd rather not let a silly game even risk making one of us feel slighted or worth less than the other.”

“Basically, yeah.”

He contemplated them for a moment from his evergreen chair, then nodded firmly. “Good. You are very intelligent boys; I hope you retain this intelligence. It will serve you well in the future.”

Then he abruptly left them, they drew the curtain over his portrait, and chatted, moving to Scorpius' bed to do their nightly simultaneous casting practise. They'd become quite good by now, and as predicted, they worked together so well that their professors tended to pair them up with each other rather than other people.

Especially in Potions, because they _never_ had explosions or other mishaps – that isn't to say they always brewed perfectly the first time, but they got really close more often than not, and Potions was generally the class they got some of the highest marks in.

After that they opened their borrowed Astronomy books and sat in the centre of the room; every night excepting Saturday they changed from the far right of the room, to Al's bed, to the centre of the room, to Scorpius' bed, to the far left of the room, and then to the space in front of their beds. They mapped out the stars in their positions that night, asked the Centaurs in the Room what their findings over the week meant every weekend, and learned more and more about the subject which fascinated the both of them utterly and completely. Learned it the _right_ way, the  Centaur way. Finally they closed the book, climbed into their separate beds, and bid each other goodnight.

It was Saturday when Scorpius awoke – they had skipped the tutoring last night in order to test out the new chocolates for Al – and he stretched easily, sighing in contentment. They almost never ever ate meals in the Great Hall on the weekends; instead they ate an early breakfast in their room, spent time with their Housemates, and then proceeded to do whatever the hell they wanted to do with their weekends. Generally, visiting the Thestrals, swimming with the Selkies (using suitable application of Warming Charms in the cold months), and going to the Room to talk to the Centaurs on the wall, who, in fact, did seem to be actual Centaurs that lived in the Forest. Apparently the Room had truly given Scorpius a way to be in real contact with them; they said that whenever the boys entered the Room appearing as it did like that, a window opened up in one of their main clearings and they were able to see through it to see them. The seasons on the walls changed accordingly, so the wall that had been autumn themed was now spring themed; that one wall just seemed to be the wall that opened up to where the Centaurs lived, and the other walls changed themes to suit it.

They also spent time working on their homework and coordinated casting and other various things.

Today was going to be relaxing though; they'd done a lot of work recently and for once didn't have any essays due the following week, so they planned to spend most of the day in their room reading novels.

Scorpius clapped for Winky once Albus woke up, which was shortly after him, and they ordered their breakfast, which arrived in a timely fashion as usual.

They ate, spent the day in a leisurely manner, and made their plans for tomorrow (they intended to spend most of the day with the Centaurs in the Room), before going back to sleep.

The rest of the week was normal, and the following, and so on, with the only variances being the occasional prank pulled on particularly horrendous Gryffindor bullies. Scorpius and Al took care of people who bullied anyone in their year and even some of the years above them; the war had taken a toll on Slytherin House, and most of them had been too worried about getting unfairly punished for retaliation against the bullying that went on, but Scorpius and his best friend didn't give a damn about any of that, trusting themselves to know the right kind of retaliation and punishment, and trusting that the bullies wouldn't know who had the skill to prank them for their actions in such a manner. Scorpius had gotten to know Al's Uncle George over Christmas break, and been inducted into the art of being a trickster, which was a fascinatingly fun thing.

So far they had not been caught, and that kept up until the end of the year, when near-tearful goodbyes were said, despite the fact that the very next weekend they were to meet at Fortescue's and go shopping for new clothes together, both robes in Wizarding London and casual clothes in Muggle London.

It wasn't the same as living together, however, and that made separation all the harder when it happened. They Owled each other constantly though, and that helped some.

It still wasn't the _same_ , though, and Scorpius had never thought that he would miss school so damn much; neither had Albus, apparently.

They ended up meeting twice as often as planned, in the end, every single weekend that wasn't spent with family, where they and their fathers (and sometimes their mothers) would catch up on their lives and goings on. Scorpius could understand why Albus' uncle Ron was so prejudiced when he saw this; Harry and his father had a relationship that wasn't based on childhood nostalgia but on more mature, adult things, and they had both been significantly changed after the war, whereas Ron Weasley had apparently not changed that much after the war. Their friendship was casual but strengthening, any daft fool could see that, and having been Harry's only close male friend, it made sense that the redhead would be jealous that Harry apparently had another male friend in his life that he could talk to about things that he couldn't talk to Ron about.

So when it was time for his trip to Romania with the Potter family, Scorpius said a solid but excited goodbye to his parents and left eagerly. He was disappointed that Rose wasn't allowed to come, she was a smart and fun girl to be around, but to be honest he couldn't be disappointed that much; not when he got to live with his best friend again for a whole two weeks!

Sure enough, they were given a room together, and Scorpius was introduced to Al's Uncle Charlie, who was a nice guy; he didn't judge Scorpius on his heritage, just on how he acted, and was more than eager to show them all about his job and passion. Dragons were dangerous but cool as all hell, and he found himself fascinated with the work the Dragon Keepers did. Especially when he got to see Harry bloody Potter out fly a Hungarian Horntail's fire so that Charlie Weasley could sedate her for long enough to check on the eggs she was incubating. Apparently this was a ritual with history behind it, and Harry did this every year for a few weeks, but this was the first time that he'd brought the family along; presumably because he felt his children were all old enough to be cautious around the dangerous dragons.

Which they were, no doubt about that. Dragons were neat but _all_ of them saw the danger in them.

Especially when Harry got licked by a flame spurt and had to spend a whole day fixing the burns he'd gotten when he flew too close. It was scary, no doubt about that, and finding out that this happened to others much more often just because of the dangers of the job had made Scorpius and Al both quietly take Dragon-Keeping off of their list of jobs that sounded interesting enough to pursue after school. Father would be happy about that if he ever found out, which he might or might not. It was hard to say for sure.

The vacation only lasted two weeks though, and then it was back to visits on weekends, which frankly weren't frequent enough for either him or Al. It just wasn't the same; partly because even though their parents left them alone for a large part of their time together, the visits were still in public and they had to watch what they said just in case the wrong person heard the wrong thing. They couldn't plot and plan like they wanted, although they'd gotten some of that done during the vacation they shared; it still wasn't **enough**.

Scorpius knew that their parents were worried about how dependent they were on each other until they sat down with the four adults and asked them how they _expected_ their friendship to be like when they were each other's very first real friends? All four of the adults had looked at the boys, then at each other, and then winced, realising that okay, maybe it wasn't abnormal or strange after all. It wasn't as if they shut everyone out of their friendship completely, but it was very much that to them this friendship was probably the second most important thing in their lives, the first being making sure they got good grades in school, since that would affect their whole future.

After some discussion – and confessions from Harry and Astoria, who had both never had friends before Hogwarts, that they'd been just as dependent on their first friends – the adults decided that it wasn't a bad thing, and decided that maybe each boy could spend a couple weeks at the other's place after the shared vacation with Scorpius and his parents was finished with. That would leave two weeks left of the summer before school for them to spend solely with their family, excluding weekend visits, and still give them more than just four weeks of what had become normal to them during their stay at Hogwarts.

It was decided that summers from now on—as long as Scorpius and Al still depended on each other so much, which he didn't see changing any time in the future—would be done so that every other week one of them was visiting the other for the week, excepting shared vacations. They would swap the destination each time, so that it was as equally shared as possible, and his father had commented that it was nice to have some alone time, after having been used to it from their first year of Hogwarts. Harry had expressed envy at that, before Ginny suggested that a few of the weeks that Albus was with him, they could send James and Lily to stay with Scorpius' great-aunt or the Weasleys, and in compensation could take the other children for the same number of weeks to give their own parents and guardian a little time to be alone.

Scorpius beamed at that – it was nice to know that Albus inherited his quick thinking from family and it wasn't just a fluke; family traits were always better and tended to last longer than traits that had been granted but not inherited from a family member. Al might argue differently, but Scorpius wasn't entirely sure if he would or not, and besides, he didn't need to bring it up. It wasn't that important in the long run and really there was no point finding out if Al shared the traditional Pureblood views on family or not because it just wasn't important to Scorpius. Yes, his own ideals were important to him, but they didn't include phrases and words like blood-traitors or Mudbloods. Muggleborns were just as important to the Wizarding world as Purebloods, his father had explained to him when he was little, when he had heard his grandfather spluttering furiously at the betrayal he had felt that people still believed that Lily Potter the first had been instrumental in the first defeat of Voldemort.

His father had told him that it was true, but that his grandfather hated to even think about it, because he was not always a nice person.

So that was cleared up and so was their situation with their families, and it was only two weeks until their vacation to Spain. He absolutely could not wait.

\- - -

Albus was so excited there were no words for it. He had been practising his Spanish (Score was fluent in it, the lucky git; he knew English, French, German, and Spanish all very well) all summer long for this trip, and Score had said he was passable, which for him was as good as saying that Albus knew more than he expected in only a couple months of practising, since he had blatantly refused to learn by spell.

He spent the first night at Malfoy Manor, in an absolutely _luxurious_ set of rooms (there was a private loo!) next to Scorpius' rooms, and had been told that these would be his rooms from now on. When Score visited him he'd just use one of their guest rooms, which were nothing of this magnitude. The bedroom he had was done in green, silver, and gold, and the furniture was a mixture of ebony and cedar stained with a burgundy colour. There were warm tapestries covering the walls; one depicted a duel, another displayed a falcon diving after a rodent of some sort, and yet another had a unicorn proudly showing her (Al assumed it was a her, anyway, seeing as there was no beard on the muzzle) silver foal off.

The bathroom was all shades of teal that made him feel as if he were suspended underwater, and had both a shower and a tub, one with so many nozzles he could barely wrap his head around it. The bathroom also had animated tiles, with fish swimming around, as well as some of the traditional mermaids – no Selkies, just the half-human half-fish sort of mermaids. It was all very, well, elegant and fancy, compared to what he was used to. His family had a very nice home and he had never had to share a bedroom, and there was plenty of room, but nothing of this scale. The room was bigger than the one he shared with Score at Hogwarts, for Merlin's sake! _Not_ including the loo, at that!

The next morning they were off, using a Portkey to get to their hotel. He and Score were sharing a room this time, one with two beds in it and its own private loo as well. The whole trip was spent with them eating out, Al practising his Spanish by hearing the locals speak and with Score, and visiting the tourist sites, both Muggle and Wizarding. It was all very exotic and wonderful, really, and the food was intensely amazing. They relaxed when they weren't out sightseeing or eating, and he and Score had a torrent of plans that got made for their next year of school.

Then as soon as they got back it was both of them off to Albus' home, where his parents welcomed Score hospitably. Score got settled into a guest room and they spent the time until dinner studying his dad’s copy of the books for next year and practising their spells together. James teased them gently about holing up almost immediately and they both responded that it was never too early to begin studying, at which point Lily asked them why they sounded so much like Aunt Hermione. That made everyone at the table laugh, before Scorpius told her that her aunt was a very smart woman and a good influence to take after. Lily took the response seriously, and nodded as they continued with their meal.

When Albus was in his room for the night, he found Uncle Sev waiting in his portrait, tilting his head curiously. “So, how goes the visit so far?”

“Very well, with the potential for awesomeness. It still isn't as nice as sharing a room with him, but at least we get to see each other every day for the next month. And then there is only a fortnight before school starts, so it won't be long before we're back sharing a room again.”

His mentor sent him an opaque look, but Albus was used to such looks, and used to not questioning their nature. It was probably an adult thing or just an Uncle Sev thing. He doubted the man was even really giving them the looks when he did, it was more that he was giving that look and they just happened to be in the way of it. Or Al did, when he was alone. Because he'd certainly seen that particular look on Uncle Sev's face before when he wasn't looking at either one of them.

“Well, it is good that your parents are allowing frequent visits from here on out. If only because otherwise the whingeing would become beyond unbearable.”

Al laughed and shook his head, sticking his tongue out before Uncle Sev left him to his own devices. Namely, sleep, after setting the usual nightly spell on his room. He _could_ just leave it all day, and sometimes did for the ceiling, but most of the time he liked the dimness of his room without it – it was almost always cloudy where they lived in Wales, and the ambient light from his window was perfectly suited for many things. The window in his bedroom was deep and wide, with a seat in it so he could comfortably read and study while looking out on the forested hill nearby. Frankly it was large enough for three people to comfortably sit and do their reading or studying in, and large enough that Albus had spent more than one night sleeping on it, passed out whilst reading by the light of the moon – both the one outside and the one in the room.

Not tonight though, he fell into a deep slumber shortly after setting up his spell and crawling under the covers. Dreams of the future filled his head as he slept, showing him wondrous paths and ideas and outcomes, so that when he awoke the next morning he just _had_ to write them down in his dream journal, each one getting its own entry for the dream and a separate one for his thoughts on it and how likely he thought it could become.

\- - -

The spare bedroom assigned to Scorpius was surprisingly lush for a family who preferred to live modestly rather than live the kind of lifestyle he _knew_ they could afford. The Potter and Black vaults were enormous fortunes just on their own; add to that thirteen years of Auror work – the Ministry paid their Aurors  very well – and the last 6 years of being a private Duelling instructor (another _very_ well paid career), and on top of that all the money brought in from Ginny working in Quidditch until she became the captain of the Falmouth Falcons,  and her new salary _as_ Captain...

Al's family was bloody well _loaded_. But yet, they only had three spare bedrooms, their house only had a ground floor and an attic, and they didn't live on a large amount of property, either. Knowing all of these things, Scorpius had expected, well, very little in the way of anything beyond serviceable. Instead he was met with hidden luxury  everywhere he turned a corner.

All three public loos had a shower _and_ a bathtub (although nothing that compared with the Manor), his bedroom had had a very large and incredibly soft bed with honest-to-Merlin Egyptian cotton sheets (the next best thing to silk), the enchanted windows were all of real places, they just _had_ to be, they were  so perfect, and that was bloody expensive! The kitchen was state of the art, the sofas were so comfortable that he could sleep on them, the fireplace was done in black marble, and just, everything was so much **more** than he had expected.

It was quite a pleasant surprise for the boy who had lived in intense luxury for all of his life. He had expected to be staying in a home that was comfortable and modest, but instead he was met with a façade of modesty that had luxury and richness buried everywhere. Now, there was no doubt in Scorpius' mind that Harry Potter did indeed despise his fame and all the trappings that came with it, and that Ginny did as well. That wasn't something anyone could contest. But he didn't let his hatred of his fame keep him from living _damn_ well, and Scorpius just had to silently applaud that. Just wait until he told his parents, they'd be so pleased.

According to the ceiling and walls (it had taken him eight and a half weeks of _hard_ practise to master the spell that Al used, and now _he_ used it as well) it was about time that Al would be up, so Scorpius changed out of his pyjamas, got up and headed to the loo between their rooms. He made sure his hair was perfect with a few charms, cleaned his teeth and mouth of the morning fuzziness that was so dreadful to bear, and freshened his breath. Then he left the loo and bumped into a wide-awake Albus who grinned and hugged him. He'd apparently already done his freshening up in the bedroom or a different loo than the one between their rooms because he  never got dressed before doing that and he was no longer in his pyjamas.

“Good morning, Score! Let's go see what Mum cooked up for breakfast. She always surprises us the first morning we have someone over and blocks the smells from leaving the kitchen and dining room. So breakfast will already be ready and when we finish Mum’ll put it all under Stasis charms for Lils and James. I'm glad it's you visiting, when any of the cousins are over only Rose is up at a decent hour, all the rest of them sleep later than Mum and Dad and me, so breakfast just waits until when they wake up because Rose is used to eating later anyhow. But since Mum knows you wake up early like me and them she'll make breakfast early and Lils and James can just eat their breakfast when they wake up.”

Score had learned that Lily only slept in later because she spent half the night up, sleeping far less than usual people, and he nodded at that; it made sense that breakfast was had when the majority of people were up, rather than the minority. It was also a good thing because he was rather spoiled and always got his breakfasts shortly after waking up – his stomach was already beginning to complain. So they headed downstairs and towards the dining room, where Ginny Potter was already loading the table with food. She smiled sweetly at them and said good morning before carrying some more trays in and placing them on the big dining room table. It was large – big enough for twelve people to be seated comfortably at – and he got the impression that they frequently had Harry's best friends and their children over to eat.

When he looked at the table he was impressed with the spread offered – an absolutely enormous bowl of _perfectly_ cooked scrambled eggs, deliciously fluffy looking scones, sausages of various types that made his mouth water just looking at them, a platter full of rashers of bacon, crepes with bowls of toppings for them surrounding the plate, a platter of fried potatoes that had onions and garlic and spices cooked with it, and a bowl filled with slices of fruit arranged to look like flowers.

Ginny Potter could probably easily make a living being a professional chef if she could make food like _this_. Merlin, this was getting ridiculous in the _best_ way.

Smiling, he and Al sat down near the centre of the table across from where Harry was sitting already and where Ginny (it was weird, still, calling them by their first names. He was used to calling people properly with a title and last name, but since his parents had a reasonable aversion to being addressed that way, Al's parents had demanded the same informality) was headed. Once she sat down she smiled and announced, “Eat up!”

Scorpius loaded up his plate with some of everything, and proceeded to eat his food politely. The Potters might not be trained in formal etiquette (well, Harry probably was, Scorpius thought they might teach that to Aurors) but they all ate politely and unhurriedly. James was the only one of the bunch who tended to scarf his food down, but he was under the impression that Harry used to be the same way, from some comments Harry made about it to James during their vacation together.

Ginny interrupted his thoughts with a smile, asking, “How was your night, Scorpius?”

“Lovely, thank you for asking, Ginny. Your home is better than I expected – I don't mean that in a disparaging way, but I was prepared for a lot more modesty and bareness rather than all the luxury and comfort you have. I'm glad that your modesty doesn't prevent you from living well, I know some people who take it too far.”

Harry chuckled at that, “I wanted my children to have all the luxury I could give them, since my own childhood was bare of any luxury or comfort. No ostentatiousness, thank you, but definitely better than just there.”

Scorpius nodded at that and finished his meal amidst the chattering of the family. It was warm and pleasant here, they made him feel like he was a part of their family and it made warmth blossom in his chest just like he got whenever his father, mother, or Uncle Sev praised him on something he had worked hard at. A feeling of acceptance and welcoming and happiness. When he finished, he and Albus both volunteered to wash the dishes, and Ginny accepted their offer with an appreciative thanks.

\- - -

“So, any plans for today or are we just going to plot all day?”

Albus grinned wickedly at this query, because he knew _just_ what he wanted to do. “When I was probably around four years old, I was playing in the forest on that hill behind the house. We don't own it, but it is protected land – another reason why Dad was so upset with that hunter, because it's protected in the Muggle world  and in the Wizarding world, so he was poaching. Anyhow, because it is protected, and because Mum had a monitoring spell on me that would alert her if I experienced any emotions like fear or anxiety and had like a magical leash so she could find me easily, I was always allowed to play there by myself even when I was little.

“One day I happened upon a magical creature colony, and had my first experience with flight as I was promptly lifted up and placed atop a tree. I was doing accidental magic from when I was a baby, to the point that I was doing stuff on purpose – I can do a whole bunch of things wandlessly that I really oughtn't be able to do considering wandless magic is supposed to be difficult – and when I realised that these creatures were speaking in such a way I couldn't hear them, I immediately wished as hard as I could to be able to understand them.

“Dad says it should be impossible, but I managed it, and I also managed to make it so Uncle George could understand them, which means I ought to be able to make it so that _you_ can understand them as well. So I'd like to take you to meet my incredibly tricky friends. I'll have to play a prank on you as soon as we enter the glade; we came to an agreement that if I play a prank upon someone as soon as I enter the colony, they won't be mean to that person. Once as payback for something mean he did to me I took James there and didn't prank him and they had a right good time bothering and pestering him for a whole half hour before I asked them to let me take him home. He didn't do a single mean thing to me for _three whole months_ after that.”

Scorpius Malfoy was staring at him now, and it was mere seconds before he burst out, “Albus Severus Potter, how in _Merlin's name_ did you manage to befriend  pixies?! That's impossible! Only at four years old at that? This is absurd. You keep doing impossible things, like being sneaky and conniving one second and then looking wholly innocent and guileless whilst thoroughly manipulating someone mere minutes later. I honestly do not think I have ever met a more Slytherin or contradictory person in my life than you.”

Laughter burst out from the other room that Al recognised as his mum and dad. Damn. They'd heard that. “Scorpius, you'd better get used to it. I thought it was my prerogative to be the only one in the family who did impossible things until Albus Severus was five months old and turned James' hair orange with blue spots after he called him stupid. He says “accidental” magic, but your best friend was doing _wandless_ magic since he was still sleeping in a cradle. Because I don't ever recall any of the little stunts he pulled being anything less than wholly on purpose. He can still do it too. It runs in the family, really, I can do a surprising amount of things wandlessly, but that was through practise. Albus Severus just never stopped being able to do so-called accidental magic even once he got a family wand and I started teaching him proper spells for just in case measures.”

He flushed and covered his face at that; hearing his dad compliment him always made him blush furiously because, well, even Albus had hero-worship – his dad had saved the _world_ for Merlin's sake! His dad grew up doing impossible things all throughout his school years and had extraordinary friends and had survived the Killing Curse _twice_ and was probably the most special person in the entire Wizarding World. It just wasn't _right_ that he should think so highly of Al, who was just  lucky. Score must have recognised the emotions that Albus was feeling right now, because he hugged him and said, “Well, I told Al at the beginning of the school year that it was only right that my first and best friend be extraordinary, because Malfoys simply do not do ordinary. This is just more proof of how perfectly suited he is to be my friend; I have someone I can compete with and work with all rolled up in one.”

Mum chuckled at that, “If it wasn't so flattering and adorable I could almost be insulted at such a comment. But I know what you mean by it. You two go out and have fun, I'll finish the few dishes left, I think Albus Severus needs to be out in the forest right now.”

Whenever he got overwhelmed, being surrounded by trees or water helped him calm down immensely, so his mum was right about that, and he obediently followed behind Score as his hand was grabbed and he was led towards the forested area a ways behind his home. He was feeling much calmer by the time they got to the trees, and immediately relaxed once they slid into the forest, getting comfortable enough to take the lead and slowly make his way with Scorpius to the pixie colony. As soon as they got there he turned Score's hair a deep evergreen with silver streaks, a far more tasteful version of the prank they had pulled their second month in school on the entire Gryffindor House. Unlike the subtle highlights of silver and majority of deep green that surprisingly complimented Score's skin very well, they had used a garishly bright shade of green with thick silver streaks that stood out, unmistakeably being Slytherin but speaking of far less finesse than all the teachers knew that Al and Score had by then, which'd meant they weren't even _looked_ at.

Then he imposed his will on his inner power, the wellspring of magic within him, and directed it towards Score, who blinked and shuddered lightly as the chorus of shrill voices turned into English. Similarly, whilst they spoke English, the pixies heard the words in their own language, just like a translation charm worked. The colony chief zoomed forward, bright blue dashing almost into his face, but veering up at the last second to run through his perpetually-messy hair and muss it up even _more_. “Hello Riskin, how are you today? I brought my best friend Score so he could meet you and we could tell you about some of the pranks we pulled last year and show you some of the pranks we are planning to pull this year, just like I promised I would earlier this summer.”

The only reason he'd been able to befriend the pixies was because as payment for them hoisting him up by his ears and plopping him down in the tree, he'd turned the whole colony white with pink zigzag stripes. Pixies loved tricks and pranks, and they had been so impressed at this revenge that once they realised he could somehow _understand_ them and they could understand him back, they'd put him back on the ground and demanded he show them other things he could do.

_All_ the pixies in this colony had hair now, and pretty much every time he visited it was demanded that he change the colours or designs or styles. A few pixies just had a favourite colour or style that they kept their hair in, but most of the pixies were far more fickle than that and liked to frequently change the way their new body enhancement looked. “Riskin this day good is and thanks Allyboy for asking how is Riskin. Allyboy is how?”

That was his pixie name, because Albus didn't fit in their language. Scorpius wouldn't either, but Score would be perfectly acceptable to them, which was why he'd been introduced to them as such – he figured Scorpius wouldn't appreciate being renamed. At four, Albus had not really cared much and by now he was used to it. “I'm doing very well, thank you. Riskin, colony, this is Score, Score, this pixie is the chief of the colony, Riskin, and all the pixies behind him are the rest of the colony. They'll introduce themselves to you as they see fit. I gave them hair because they like playing with mine so much and I generally have to change the colours and styles of most of their hair every time I come see them.

“As payment for friendship, descriptions and shows of tricks and pranks are required. I befriended them to begin with because, even though it was fun, I could tell they had meant to scare me by sticking me in the tree, and I turned the whole colony white with pink zigzag stripes for revenge. It apparently impressed them.”

“Less impress, more fun! Pixies be strong, but cannot magic like human wizards can. Only pull tricks and physical things can pixies do. Anything that pull tricks on pixies can is be considered fun fun _fun_!”

Scorpius laughed at that and nodded, “I understand the feeling. Al brings loads of fun into my life. I can change your hair colours too, because Al taught me the spell for it. Would you like me to tell you about one of the tricks we pulled on a group of people larger than your colony?”

Riskin immediately zoomed through Score's hair and hovered in front of him, body tense with rapt anticipation. “Tell it, yes! Then to us do it! Easy peasy if you to human wizards did!”

“If you insist, so shall we do.”

Smiling happily that his best friend and his other friends were getting on well, Al listened to Score spin the tale – he was a natural storyteller, unlike Al, who fumbled with his words and tended to ramble when he had to try and tell a story – and contemplated that the rest of the summer was going to be _so great_.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

“So, Rita Skeeter-”

Scorpius scoffed as soon as he heard that name, and Albus grinned as the journalist interviewing them, one Score had picked out as the most respectable and open-minded of those who posted their articles to _all_ of the major newspapers, including the Quibbler, got interrupted smoothly by his best friend. “Is an incompetent, moronic, delusional fanatic. She heard a _joke_ that I was telling Albus, calling our fellow Housemates “minions,” and decided that the most eye-catching thing she could do was decide that somehow a pair of fifteen year olds are angling to take over the world. Honestly – I cannot comprehend why in Merlin's name _anybody_ takes her seriously! She ought to have been fired or retired decades ago.

“Firstly, I wouldn't take over the world if the world begged me to do it or offered me fountains of money, and Al is the same way – can you imagine the _paperwork_ involved in running a dictatorship like that? Ugh, no  way. Mouldy voldy was clearly gone in the head when he decided on that course. Secondly, neither of us are even aiming to go into any political field unless it has to do with making sure that Magical Creatures get more rights and are treated better. Prejudice is despicable and uncouth, and treating wholly sentient and reasonable beings as less than humans is really just plain stupid. Selkies and Centaurs are way smarter than humans are, and I think the biggest reason for any such horrid prejudice to go on is that people in high places feel _threatened_ by sentient beings who are smarter than they are. Anyhow, I am far more likely to either go into a Potions apprenticeship and attain Mastery and work on making more common potions safer to use and less addictive, or to become an Astronomer.”

The reporter looked a little nonplussed and stunned at that, before composing herself and venturing, “Magical Creatures? That seems a bit… Unusual.”

Al read between the lines – not just for a _Malfoy_ but for a  Slytherin, and he began his part. They were doing this interview for a reason, and that was _not_ to combat Skeeter's most recent bout of delusional idiocy, unlike what they had posed it as, but to wake the Wizarding public up to their own prejudice and make them see that they were terrible people. Because they were, that much had become beyond clear in the past four years. “Score and I are great friends with the Centaurs that live in the Forest – they've been teaching us Astronomy since we were in first year here – and with the Selkies in the Lake. Not to mention the gorgeous Thestrals that Hagrid cares for.

“It isn't just Magical Creatures though, you must understand. That's just the most visible prejudice and the only one we have any chance of making headway in. The real problem is the rampant and wholly accepted idea that somehow all Slytherins are evil and Slytherin qualities are bad to have. I talked to my dad about it and he said that _all_ of the best Aurors and Healers he has known were **all Slytherins**. And we have been talking to the seventh and sixth years since our first year in Hogwarts. The majority of our house  do become Aurors, Healers, or Potions Masters.

“Think on that for a second. We're supposedly all evil and have bad qualities inherent to us, and yet the large majority of this so-called “evil” House go into occupations that protect Wizardkind, Heal Wizardkind, and make the lives of Wizards and Witches safer and more convenient. Does that sound evil or cruel to you?”

There was no need to mention that part of the reason for going into those careers was because they were well-paid and used skills that were trained into many Slytherins from young ages; that would just be detrimental to their ultimate goal here. He gave her a few moments to process this information – this particular journalist had been a Ravenclaw, so she assimilated it more quickly than some others might – before continuing. “If you want to know what I think is _really_ cruel and evil, it's how people in our House get treated by Gryffindors, and the fact that not only does nobody, not even the faculty of our school, try to curb it, but that our House as a whole is so cowed and afraid of how we get treated that none of them except Score, Lily, and me feel like they have the right to _defend themselves_ against bullies.”

Right on point, Scorpius scoffed again, and gave off an agitated little growl, “Bullies, my arse. They don't bully, they _torture_. I saw the tail end of a poor little first year girl getting lifted up into the air and spun around until she vomited by a pair of nasty fifth year boys. They cornered her on her way to the dungeons, and I passed by as they finished their torture by hexing her so that any time she spoke, her words came out so mixed up as to be completely unintelligible. Okay, a pair of supposedly good and righteous Gryffindors, fifteen or sixteen years old,  literally _torturing_ an eleven year old girl who had done _nothing_ to them and never seen them before in her life. Just because she happened to get Sorted into Slytherin House.

“It took me and Al an hour to get poor Sarah calmed down enough that she would go with us to see Madam Pomfrey, and she was so scared to leave the common room after we finally got back to the dungeons that we had to promise that one of the sixth or seventh years would escort her to and from the dungeons until she had made some friends, because groups are safer than walking around alone is. And she got _lucky_. That was mild compared to some of the stuff Al and I have stumbled across. We never suffered the bullying beyond Al getting caught once early in first year, largely because James is brilliant and threatened his House if they ever touched Al after a few near misses, and Al and I rarely go anywhere apart.

“Don't get me wrong – if any of the teachers knew how severe things were they would probably be appalled and do their best to intervene, but there are far more students than teachers, and they can't be everywhere all the time. Headmistress McGonagall is aware of the issue, and severely punishes anyone who is found to be bullying anyone else, regardless of their House affinity, because she is brilliant, but she can't stop this “rivalry” between the supposed best and worst Houses, because it is reinforced everywhere anyone goes.”

Albus spoke up before the reporter could ask another question – they had planned this and engineered this and unlike how it would normally be, _they_ were controlling the tone and content of this interview that wasn't so much an interview as it was a tirade and expose on the sort of things that went on at Hogwarts. “I'm not at all afraid or ashamed to say that I've done my damnedest to get those arseholes back. Even when I was just a scrawny little first year I wasn't afraid to get revenge for my Housemates, because defending and protecting people is my job as a Wizard. Helping the helpless and protecting the hurt. It doesn't matter what my House affinity is, my dad taught me to help other people and do my best to change bad situations around. After a thorough prank it usually takes them a while to become comfortable enough to start up again, which gives my Housemates some breathing room.

“I won't lie, I was scared to death of going into Slytherin until I decided that I would be courageous no matter where the Hat put me, and then promptly met Score, who became my first real human friend outside of my family and made it abundantly clear that he didn't care what House I landed in, he would still be my friend. And then, my second full day in Hogwarts, I met my Housemates, and was shocked at how everyone who found out about my hearing disability immediately lowered their voices, promised to be quieter when I was around, and promised to spread it around the House so that others would act accordingly as well.

“One would think that with the reputation our House has, my weakness would be immediately preyed upon, but instead they decided to protect me. I'm so glad I got Sorted to Slytherin, because I couldn't ask for better friends and comrades, and whilst the way we get treated as a whole is despicable, the way we treat others is not what is expected of us, and I have a feeling that will always be the case for as long as we have such a nasty reputation that is wholly false and unfitting. My dad, Harry Potter himself, told me before I got on the train my first year that one of the people I am named after, Severus Snape, was the bravest man he ever knew, and I'll have you know that never has a more Slytherin person existed that I am aware of than Headmaster Snape was.”

Scorpius flashed the journalist a winning smile and added, “I agree with Harry there. Headmaster Snape is undeniably brave and unafraid of anything, but that really isn't a surprise. Most of us aren't afraid of most things. The only fear we can't combat easily is that of being tortured and mistreated simply due to our House alignment, which we have absolutely no choice whatsoever in, because of prejudice. Which, as I stated earlier, is despicable in any way, shape, or form. Yes, I am well aware that my grandfather is one of the most horribly prejudiced people in the world. It is somewhat telling that I have not spoken a word to him in ten years or so because to me he is one of the most horrible and despicable people in the world due to his blind, harmful prejudice towards Muggleborns and Half-bloods.”

They finally quieted themselves, allowed their brown eyed interviewer to compose herself, and ask one of the questions that they knew _everyone_ wanted the answer to. “Well, that certainly sheds some light on some of my past experiences when I was attending Hogwarts. Now, as I am sure you are aware, most everyone wants to know – what exactly _is_ the nature of your relationship? Neither of you have dated anyone yet, which is somewhat unusual, given your age, but you don't seem to be together, either.”

Score grinned and easily rested his arm along Al's shoulders. “We're not interested in romance right now – getting good grades and settling ourselves into our eventual careers is far more important than any of that nonsense – but we're both pretty sure that once we become interested in such things, we'll end up together. Really, the bond we have is too tight to allow others in, and neither of us are so cruel as to make anyone we love romantically be second-place in our lives.”

Albus smiled over at his best friend and linked their fingers together comfortably. They had always been strongly affectionate with each other and that would never change. “We were each other's first friends and have been completely inseparable practically since we met. The trust and respect we have for each other is something that frankly nobody else could ever hope to match, and we came to this realisation with the aid of our parents and Headmaster Snape last year. Still, as Score stated, there are more important things in our lives at the moment than changing our relationship. It'll happen when it happens naturally, and we're both fine with that.”

Jessica Moonstone seemed slightly stunned at their response, “If I may be so bold, you two certainly do not sound like a pair of fifteen year olds, you sound far older than your physical ages.”

The smile that he gave off to the reporter was gentle and sweet, one of Score's favourites because it instantly disarmed anyone, and the journalist took the opportunity to catch it on camera; likely that would be the picture for the article. In Al's head it made a nice composition; him leaning slightly against Score, smiling that smile, and Score's arm looped over his shoulders, that hand linked with Albus' own hand and Score undoubtedly giving him a fond look. “Both of us grew up as kind of loners and being closer with adults than people our own age. Plus we both adore reading and are well ahead of our ages in that aspect, because our parents were smart and nurtured our thirst for knowledge. We've never slacked off in studying, reading, or bettering ourselves, so that probably had a strong effect on our thought processes and made us mature faster than we would normally have done otherwise.”

She grinned a bit wryly, probably having expected such an answer, and nodded. “Well, even though I've a dozen questions I didn't get to ask, I think this article will be far better than the one I had planned. You quite masterfully managed this whole thing. Might I have another interview with you in six months; a proper one, this time?”

“Sure thing. Sorry for ruining your plans, but we have plans of our own, and ever since we saw how badly our House was mistreated in our first year here, this was one of the biggest parts of it; waking the Wizarding World up to their own prejudices and the effect that it has on defenceless children. I dread graduating, but hopefully by that time things will have changed enough that my House feels that it _does_ have the right to defend itself from the actions of others.”

Albus said that, because he was still the better of them at being genuinely apologetic and making people feel as if just his talking to them benefited them somehow, even when it mostly benefited him. Sure enough, the brown haired woman smiled understandingly at him and handed him an appointment card. They looked over their schedules, picked out a date, and wrote it down in their calendars and on the card, handing it back to her.

\- - -

Score grinned over at Al and laid across his bed, staring up at the ceiling of our room. “Well, how do you think we did? I know what _she_ said, but I'd like  your opinion.”

His best friend smirked and quoted his father, “I don't think even the great Harry Potter could have done any better than we did. Seriously though, she was interested, listened well, and had a good transcribing quill rather than the stupid Quick Quotes quill that nasty Skeeter uses. I feel that she won't attempt to make her part in our expose any larger than it was; or if she does so, it will happen in such a way so it seems less like a tirade and more like she led the conversation there, because that way more people will listen to the article. She was genuinely intrigued at finding out Dad's opinion on things, and genuinely appalled when she found out how Slytherins are treated. You picked a great reporter for us to do this with.”

Yeah, his instincts and Father's advice had really done him well this time around. Jessica Moonstone was a younger reporter, not even as old as his mother was, but she was well-respected, highly competent, and wasn't picky with her publishing choices, most importantly. The Daily Prophet was still the most read newspaper, but more people read the Quibbler than any of the other national papers, despite its frequently odd content, because it was utterly unafraid to post articles that nobody really wanted to read even though they needed to. Wizards overall weren't inherently bad, and many of them tried their best to better themselves, which meant that once a more controversial article came out detailing things that needed bettering, they worked to change it.

Of course, this would likely take rather more than just one measly article to make a large dent in, because it was so ingrained in their culture, but hopefully some people would be even half as appalled as his parents and Grandmother and Al's parents and most of their family members were. Even Uncle Ron had looked sick at some of the stories they had about bullying; he did _not_ like the idea of people in his House abusing other people, no matter their House affiliation. After meeting Father and getting to know him, Uncle Ron had changed a lot from the prejudiced-against-Slytherins-and-Malfoys person he had used to be and become much more open and tolerant.

Score thought it helped that it'd been blatantly clear to everyone in the Weasley family who met him that there would never be a more important person in his life than Albus, full stop, so Uncle Ron didn't have to worry about the friendship with Rose ending in anything _more_. Although really, that girl was just like them; romance was not an important word in her life for now and wouldn't be until she'd become settled into her career (she was planning on going into Law at the moment) and advanced some. Uncle Ron was very relieved at that, which both he and Al thought to be hilarious because undoubtedly once it happened, Uncle Ron would have no idea until Rose had accepted an engagement. She was  not minded to have her father interfering in her life, thank you very much, and made it abundantly clear to anyone who listened to her. Unfortunately for him, Uncle Ron was still blind about some things, and Rose was one of those things.

Humming lightly, he spun his wand around and flipped it into the air, catching it with his magic and continuing to spin and flip it around. Ever since finding out how wandless magic _really_ worked, which was just imposing one's will upon the fount of magic within themselves, he'd taken to it like a duck took to water, as Dad said. One of those Muggle sayings that he was so fond of. Anyhow, he and Al now split up their practise time between simultaneous casting, learning new spells, and finding creative, unusual, or necessary things to do with wandless magic. _Nobody_ except one person was aware that they did this, because both of them were aware that simply due to the infamy and fame of their parents, their lives were more at risk. They needed to have a backup in case somebody managed to get their wands away from them, and this was it, their ace up their sleeve.

Of course, Dad was aware that he knew how it worked now, and probably aware that since he knew how it worked, he would do his best to master it, but neither Al or Score used their wandless magic around anybody else except Lils (well, and the pixies, but they weren't _human_ ) any more unless they were hidden and using it to distract bullies. Lily-bear had gotten Sorted into Slytherin as well, much to the surprise of everyone, and after her first time being bullied, and finding out that her older brothers (she had adopted Score into the family before anyone else had, did sweet Lily-bear. Having a younger sister was _great_ ) would not only take revenge for her, but that they were trying to fix the problem, she had given them free use of the Marauders' Map, so every night they checked it and if they saw one of their Housemates alone with Gryffindors that were older than them, they went out and rescued their Housemate.

Lils still kept the Map though, as neither of them wanted to deprive her of either her inheritance or the fun of secret passages and sneaking around the castle at night past curfew. Granted, neither Al nor Score did the last; most of their House didn't, because they weren't _stupid_. But Lils had always slept less than normal people did and got bored easily. Which was probably one of the worst things in the world that could _ever_ happen. Boredom on their little sister was Bad, capital necessary, full stop.

Lily Luna Potter, fondly called Lils or Lily-bear, was a right terror when she was bored. Albus was still the better prankster between the two of them, but when it came to sheer creativity and mass-production, Lily _shone_. Al and Score had both introduced her to Uncle George on a more personal level once they realised this, and she'd decided as soon as she walked into the back of his shop that she was going to work there some day. The twosome were more subtle ever since they nearly got caught in second year, and generally only did pranks as revenge, excepting one great big prank at the end of the year that changed a part of the castle damn-near permanently.

Oh not their little sister, though. One night she snuck into _every single other House_ and cast a sleeping spell on everyone in the Houses that caused them all to sleep in until dinner. On a  class day, at that! Slytherin House had been the only House awake that day, and James had taken the blame onto himself, which made Score think that instead one of her Gryffindor friends letting her into the Gryffindor Tower (Lils had made friends with every single person in her year somehow, regardless of House affiliation and personality. It was bloody well insane, but unfortunately hadn't made as much of an impact on how their House got treated in the school as Al had thought it would when he found out), it'd been her older brother who let her in.

Another thing she did was manage to dye everyone's skin their House colours for three days straight. _Not_ using that spell Uncle George had taught Albus and Al had then taught him – she'd done it _wandlessly_. Since then, one night a week they helped her perfect her wandless magic, because it would help keep her safe in the long run. Score wasn't sure if she had been teaching Hugo this ability, but frankly that didn't really matter. Hugo was a dear and even the bullies did their best to keep him from harm. It helped that he'd landed in Hufflepuff, and even though most of the other Houses made fun of Hufflepuff, nobody really messed with or bullied their members in general, leaving them to their own devices instead.

“Well, the Headmistress was extremely tolerant to allow us to do this, we should get her a present.”

“Like what, a day off?”

The moment those words escaped his best friend's mouth, they both sat up and he grabbed his wand from mid air, grinning madly. “Lily-bear!”

There was a wandless spell they'd done so that whenever their little sister called them or they called her, it was heard by the party being called, and within moments she was in their room, perched on the end of Score's bed. “You called, brother dearest?”

“Al had an utterly brilliant idea just now, and we'd like your aid in implementing it, since _everyone_ knows that there isn't a better actress or mimic in the school than you are.”

Predictably, the ginger girl preened at that, and became even more interested in helping them than she would have been to begin with. It was entirely unnecessary, but Score found her vanity adorable and encouraged it whenever possible. Al and the rest of their family tolerated it fondly. “Of course, big brother. However might I help you?”

Al spoke up this time, since he'd had the idea to begin with. “We'd like you to procure some hair from Headmistress McGonagall, and then once we've brewed a good stock of it, Polyjuice yourself as her for a day so that we can give her a day off in return for allowing us to follow our agenda.”

Lily's eye's sparkled with happiness, “You really think I'm good enough to do _that_? Oh, this will be such fun! Yes, please! I will get some hair from her over the next months and hold them all under a Stasis spell so that they are as potent as possible. Do you wish for aid in brewing, or would you rather manage that yourselves since it is your gift to her?”

They looked at each other and nodded. They wanted to do as much of this on their own as possible; they could get the hair themselves, honestly, but always tried to include Lily in the process of pulling off their plans if they needed her help in the end result. “We'll do the brewing ourselves, you just keep that hair safe and study hard so that nobody suspects a thing.”

She left their room at that, each step filled with a happy determination. This would be a challenge for the younger girl, and she adored nothing as much as she did a good challenge, not even Quidditch. Lily was their House's Seeker – she was killer on a broom, and could out fly both Al and Score with the greatest of ease. Slytherin had won every game in which they played for the past two years now, largely because of her innate talent and quick reflexes.

As soon as Lily-bear was gone, they left to go to Uncle Sev's inner sanctum, where they did all their brewing that wasn't for homework, and began looking for ingredients.

They had a present to make.

\- - -

“What in Merlin's name?”

Albus grinned and whisked behind the Headmistress, as Score grabbed one of her hands and led her from behind the desk. Lily rapidly replaced her, doing an absolutely _perfect_ imitation of the woman who had supported them in their endeavours for the past five years as they left the room. “Have a good day, I'll take care of things on this end. Have no fear, I shan't make any big decisions or do any paperwork.”

“We decided that you deserved a present for helping us all this time, and the best thing we could think up was giving you a day off, since you're stuck here even all summer with those students who can't or oughtn't go back to their own homes over our free term.”

“So today you're to strictly relax and enjoy yourself, and we know exactly where to take you to make sure that what we want for you happens.”

That being said, and the situation clearly out of her hands, their Headmistress followed them bemusedly as they led her up to the Room of Requirement. Al paced the wall three times, thinking hard about giving the Headmistress a place where she could relax and enjoy herself, and soon a mahogany door appeared there. He opened it, and Score led her inside, after which point they both left, quietly telling her to have a nice day and watching as the door disappeared – Al had asked to lock everyone excepting the house elves out, and they'd decided shortly after coming up with this plan that they would very carefully not pay attention to the place she was given by the Room, because she deserved to have her privacy respected. There were some things about a person that needed to be kept to that person alone.

Once that was done, the pair of them wandered off the grounds and into the Forest, using wandless magic to help them into the trees and travel what was becoming a well worn path through the canopy. Usually they only travelled this path at Friday and Saturday nights, but it was several hours still before their more nocturnal friends amongst the Centaurs went to sleep until night time, so they would go visit them until they bedded down. _All_ centaurs were prescient and could tell the future using their version of Astronomy, but only about a third of the herd dedicated their time to reading the stars and plotting them down at nights. Others manipulated their earth-natured magic to create homes and sculptures from the plants and the trees, some were hunters and gatherers, yet others specialised in creating the most  astonishingly delicious meals, and so on and so forth.

Wizards in general had a very narrow and stupid view of what Centaurs were like, really, assuming one thing was the case for the entire species and refusing to realise that they were just as diverse, beautiful, and unusual as humans were. Al's favourite Centaur was named Rhiannon, and she was a flautist and singer who composed some of the most gorgeous, stunning music he had ever heard. She was also the first Centaur to approach them when Al made that room for Score, and had garnered their interest in Astronomy to begin with. Unlike flying, potions, pranking, or Defence, they weren't inherent naturals at Astronomy, either of them, but they worked hard at it and had help that nobody could truly contest was less than the best out there.

Suddenly a noise caused Al to slow down and Score predictably followed him as he leapt from the trees.

“ _Leave me alone you stupid, short-sighted bird!_ ”

Al rushed rapidly as soon as he heard that voice, and soon was hexing an eagle away from a snake that was moving slowly, a clutch of eggs inside of its lower half. Excuse him, _h_ _er_ lower half. The snake turned to look at her rescuers, head cocked to the side in interest before fixating on Al. Sigh. They _always_ knew. “ _Thank you very much for protecting me and my clutch, snake-speaker. You must be the one that rumours have been going on about the past f_ _ive_ _years_.”

Ah, yes. Al had known he was a Parselmouth ever since he was little, as his dad attracted snakes like crazy wherever he went and he'd been found speaking to a venomous one when he was three or so, which'd scared the shit out of Mum at first until she heard him hissing – unless they were under the control of another Parselmouth, snakes would never harm “snake-speakers”, and any snakes that attached themselves to Dad did so under their own volition, not because they were forced to.

It had certainly made exploring the castle that much more entertaining – Slytherin (and undoubtedly other Parselmouths) had added secret passages marked by little, almost invisible carvings of snakes into the stones that made up the castle, and Albus had accidentally opened one of them one day only to find out that the passage was one single, stable flight of stairs that went all the way from the fifth floor to the lowest floor of the dungeons where their dorm was at. He'd just been demonstrating his Parseltongue to Score around the opening when he fell through and almost broke something – thankfully, Score had caught his tie and kept him stable until he was able to right himself.

No matter where the class was, Score and Al were always the first ones there, and no matter how much they wheedled, nobody else was getting that secret from them.

This snake, like the first he'd ever spoken to, was a natural snake rather than a Magical snake, a stunning light grey adder with black diamonds (Dad said it was supposed to be a zigzag pattern but it looked more like diamonds to Al on many of the adders he'd come into contact with) all across her back and sides, a more camouflaged black and white pattern along her stomach. By now Scorpius was almost as good as a Parselmouth, Al had long ago used his wandless magic to both implant the knowledge of the language into his head and given him the ability to understand it, although he couldn't really speak it yet – Al was still working on managing _that_. So he just stared on with amusement as Albus shot him a half-hearted glare and responded to her, “ _Yes, my name is Albus Severus, commonly called 'Al' by my best friend,_ _my Centaur friends,_ _and my snake friends. Do you have a name? Would you like me to set up protections around you to keep predators away? Once they are hatched I can give similar protections to your brood_.”

She lifted her body up even more – which wasn't too much, as adders were more stocky than they were long, although she was larger than the average adder—exposure to such condensed magic as was in Hogwarts tended to make creatures and animals more intelligent and larger. He wasn't sure where she'd come from – adders weren't natural in Scotland – but figured that someone had implanted several here and they'd bred and thrived in the Forbidden Forest despite the cold Scottish weather. “ _I care not for names. You shall keep one of my clutch once it hatches, Albus Severus, and we shall have a deal_.”

Score, the arsehole, was sniggering away at her imperious, satisfied tone, because she no doubt knew that most of the snakes who came across him tried to attach themselves to him and he always rebuffed their attempts. She couldn't do that, but she clearly knew that he wouldn't _dare_ leave her unprotected after such an attack as had almost happened just now, so she would be able to brag to her compatriots that _she'd_ hatched the snake he finally took as his main pet. Sighing, he hung his head and once Score was ready, they began casting the necessary spells, which was an agreement on his part. “ _When your hatchlings are ready, just call my name, I can hear at a surprising distance. You may choose which of your children you wish for me to take and then I shall take him or her as my own and see to it that he_ _or she_ _is cared for properly._ ”

Because protective spells did not always mean there was food to be had, did not mean that accidents or hunters would not kill her children, did not guarantee their safety except that a natural predator would not get them and they would not die if they didn't have a warm den to sleep in come the cold Scottish winter nights.

Being attached to Al meant that at least one of her hatchlings would forever be guaranteed safety and food; and would be indescribably intelligent, grow larger and more venomous than was normal even for an adder that was exposed to condensed magic, would live decades longer than was natural, and would never want for company and conversation. Venomous snakes had a higher intelligence than non-venomous snakes and grew bored _often_ ; Al had many snake friends both Magical and mundane that he regularly went out to the forest to chat with – their Friday and Saturday nights that were spent with the Centaurs were usually also spent with Al covered in snakes and chatting to them about what he was being taught in school and by their Centaur friends.

Really the special ability that Parselmouth magic granted was far more wide-ranging and intriguing than most people assumed it would be. It granted snakes so many protections and it granted those who spoke Parseltongue just as many protections.

The deal being accepted, Al and Score finished simultaneously casting their series of protective spells upon the adder and went back up into the trees. They arrived at the herd's main clearing just in time for the mid-morning meal, a delightful salad with fruits and nuts gathered from the forest and their gardens, delicately cooked and sliced rabbit intermingled with the leafy greens and slivers of nuts and fruit. They even had a sort of salad dressing that was sweet and tangy and complimented the salad perfectly. Centaurs ate five meals a day – breakfast, a meal between breakfast and lunch, lunch, a meal between lunch and dinner, and then their dinner. They had large bodies and high metabolisms and without eating so frequently they could not function anywhere near as well.

Once the meal was over, Rhiannon, Fiera, Llysyr, and Heian all grabbed their instruments (flute, wood horn, lute, and harp, respectively) and began playing and singing for their herd as they went about their business, three centaurs and a dozen snakes attending Score and Al and chatting amicably with them. Al and Score were considered to be a part of the herd now, they knew the names of all the three and a quarter dozen adults and five foals, and were good friends with the majority of them; barring the elder Centaurs who generally kept amongst themselves, although it wasn't out of disdain, simply because they preferred the company of those nearer their age rather than a pair of youngling humans.

“So Venus in this position means we'll be having a storm within the next few days? And Orion here means the storm will last for as many days as the constellation is in that position, which has been five days so far.”

Gellan nodded firmly. “That is correct, young Scorpius.”

Because of the nature of his name, the Centaurs always used the full version, unlike Al – to the two of them they were Score and Al, but to everyone else excepting Lily, Uncle Sev, the snakes, and the Centaurs (in Al's case) they were Scorpius and Albus Severus. Al piped up at this, “Good, I've been craving a nice storm. It being Venus means the storm will be a full out raging thunderstorm, possibly even having hail, as early in the year as it is, doesn't it?”

Sierra smiled and tilted her head to the side, “Correct again, Al. You two have picked up the nuances of our Astronomy far better than the adults who have very badly attempted to do so in the past.”

Beside him Score scoffed and rolled his eyes. “That's just because they were taught Wizarding Astronomy all their lives and can't wrap their heads around your superior form of Astronomy. Unlike them, you taught us from the very beginning of our interest and so we only learned it your way, largely ignoring what we learned from our teacher in school, although we still learned it so we could pass class easily.”

That comment made Herran (Heian's twin brother) chuckle lowly and smile fondly at them. “You two have been very adept students, and unlike the other Wizards who attempted to learn our way, always bowed to our way in favour of the Wizarding way, this is true. It pleases this Herran that we met you because at least two Wizards now realise why and how our way is superior to theirs.”

Score and Al both flushed with pleasure as several of the snakes hissed that _of course_ Al was more adept; he was a snake-speaker and they were always more intelligent than normal humans. Which of course made him flush harder and made the three Centaurs surrounding them chuckle, being able to understand the snakes as all the herd could by now. Al wanted his closest friends protected, so they _were_ and that was that. They hadn't even been given a choice in the matter. Needless to say no more Centaurs suffered from snake bites because they heard the snakes and were able to avoid them; even the Magical breeds.

After lunch a third of the herd all lay down in their darkened tree-homes and then Score and Al left to go back to Hogwarts to pester and tease their little sister.

\- - -

Score was beyond pleased right now. Today had gone off perfectly, with nobody noticing the switch, Al would _finally_ have a snake attached to him permanently, and rather soon at that, her eggs had been large and already moving around. McGonagall looked more relaxed than they had ever seen her, and her soft, solemn thanks and gratitude was something that Score, Al, and Lily-bear had  all savoured.

Not only that, but their article had had far more wide-ranging effects than they had even _dared_ hope it would. Jessica Moonstone had added in extra questions and made it seem as if she led the conversation down the path it went, and the effect had been immediate. _All_ the Gryffindor parents had talked to their children about their behaviour and the bullying had severely decreased. Finding out the professions Slytherins chose over others had also had a distinct change in how the British Wizarding world viewed the people in their House, and there was a sense of strong chastisement mulling around everywhere, from what Father, Mother, Dad, and Mum said. Uncle Ron had even sent them a letter telling them that he'd confirmed their statements to several of his casual friends and acquaintances and told those people that he had seen Pensieve memories to prove what had been going on.

It was bloody brilliant, was what it was, and Score couldn't be more pleased with the changes being wrought due to their influence.

More Slytherins had been asking for subtle ways to get back at the few bullies left, and defended themselves and got revenge for the actions put against them. The spells were spreading throughout their House, and Score knew that from now on all the first years would be taught to defend themselves against any possible bullies.

That article had affixed Al and himself even more permanently into their positions as the leaders in their House, and their House Head and Headmistress McGonagall were both aware that neither of them wanted to be Prefects, so that wouldn't be an issue, either.

He'd never imagined that their influence would be so strong or widely spread in only their fifth year, he’d imagined it wouldn’t happen until near graduation, but he had to hand the credit for that to Skeeter and her ridiculous claims and assumptions. Without her they couldn't have done their article, and couldn't have woken the British Wizarding world up to their own harmful prejudices. Dad even said that three of his ex-comrades had all gotten raises and higher positions as squad leaders amongst the Aurors that they had long since earned but been denied due to their Hogwarts House alignment. His plan, formulated only in his first year here, was working out _brilliantly_.

When he finally slept that night it was with a strong sense of confidence and satisfaction.

\- - -

“ _Al, the time is here_.”

Albus woke up and so did Score, grinning madly at him as they slipped into warm clothes and padded through one of the Parselmouth passages to get outside and then dashed off into the Forest, heading to where the female adder had her den. Sure enough, as they arrived, the eggs were exiting her and hatching themselves. Each one got protective and warming charms, Wards, and spells placed upon them, as well as both Score and Al using wandless magic to give them a version of a good luck charm that would make them more likely to find food and good dens. After a few moments, the female adder picked the smallest of the clutch and nudged the hatchling towards Al. “ _This one. She will suit you well; she might be small but being with you shall change that and she is already the most intelligent of the batch_.”

The small adder looked up at Albus and spoke to him solemnly, “ _I belong to Albus Severus Potter, snake-speaker and wise Wizard who knows when to back down, when to plan revenge, and when to humbly learn from his betters. I am happy to be attached to you, Al_.”

Al reverently picked up the adder, who had a strange blueish sheen to her body that was just gorgeous, and thought carefully, stroking over her back and along her head as he thought of a name. “ _Vrisea will be her name; it is a type of plant that harbours life within itself, and her intelligence has a life all its own, not to mention it is a stunning plant, and she is stunning as well. D_ _o_ _you accept this name, little one?_ ”

The hatchling curled her tail around his wrist and contemplated for a few moments, “ _Yes. Vrisea is my name._ ”

“ _I forgot to mention, we have some Magical snake blood far back in my family and it sometimes manifests in our hatchlings. Vrisea is prescient and can see into souls. She will serve you in good stead, Al. Thank you for your protection and your acceptance. Have a good night, Al, Score. I will check up on my daughter occasionally._ ”

With that dismissal over with, they headed back to the castle, Vrisea wrapped securely around Al's wrist and resting her head along his palm, hissing in contentment from the warmth and the Parseltongue magic that was even now imbuing her body with extra protections, added intelligence, enhancing her natural abilities, and strengthening her body so it would grow more rapidly than it would in the wild.

When they arrived back in their rooms, Lily was waiting for them, and as soon as Vrisea saw their little sister she lifted her head up and hissed lightly, “ _This one is a trouble-maker, but means no harm with her pranks, only means to entertain herself and others. Talented on a broom, intelligent, and a natural mimic, nothing is more entertaining to her than a challenge. Truly, you are surrounded by extraordinary people, Al._ ”

“ _This is my little sister, Lily._ Lily, meet Vrisea. She can read people's souls and is very intelligent already for one so young,”

“You finally have a snake! I thought that might be the case when I came to ask you for an idea and you were gone.”

Lily never came into their room on Friday and Saturday nights, but any other night was free game and she often came to them for pranking advice. “Yes, I suppose it really is about time. What did you want aid with?”

That set their little sister off on a tangent and Score smiled as he relaxed on his bed. Yes, life was going rather well right now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Lily nodded solemnly as she listened to the snake around her neck, her eyes fixed on her brothers as they had their weekly Seeker vs. Seeker match. The crowd today was very large, and she was near the back, because it was a Big Secret that she was a Parselmouth. Everyone knew that Al was one by now, thanks to Vrisea, but they were keeping it on the down low that Lily was a Parselmouth until she graduated and found a snake of her own. Of course, _they_ would find _her_ ; home was bloody well covered in snakes because of Dad. But she wanted _The One_ like Vrisea was for Al, and that might take many years to happen. Still, she would have the protection and company of snake friends until she found the right one for herself.

“ _So the best way to manipulate your magic in such a way is to imagine it twisting inside out, and projecting it towards those pests whom you intend on pranking. Then they will only be able to hear hisses when they talk,_ _as you are intending to do to them_ _._ ”

“Thank you very much for your advice, stunning Vrisea.”

The adder preened at that, and Lily smiled to see it. Vrisea really had become absolutely gorgeous as she grew up. Silvery blue skin with a metallic blue-black pattern, seven feet long and finished growing, and an intelligence borne of both prescience and exposure to Parselmouth magic. When Vrisea didn't like someone, all of them listened to her wisdom and veered clear of that person. Vrisea could see into souls after all; if she disliked someone outright and immediately, they were a bad person, without fail.

The match ended with Al and Score both catching the snitch simultaneously, much to the excitement of everyone watching them, and Lily cheered for them, brushing her red hair out of her face as her eyes sparkled with enjoyment. Lily might be better on a broom than them, but only by a bit, and they were so very talented.

When Al touched down, Score grabbed his hand and they slung their brooms over their shoulders with their free hands, walking through the crowd and accepting the congratulations of everyone there. This set had been three ties and each of the boys winning one match. Lily really had the best big brothers she could ever hope for, even including James, who was protective of and loyal to them, and while he was at Hogwarts, had done his best to change his House so that they stopped the rampant bullying going on. It had definitely decreased, in part because of him and in part due to Score and Al's brilliant article.

The second one had been a lot more normal and such but the topic of wrongful prejudice had been present in that one too and her big brothers were changing the entire British Wizarding World.

Lily loved them all the more for it. It'd originally been her idea (her insistence, rather) to adopt Score into the family by calling him “big brother” before the second week of his vacation with her ended that first time around. Mum and Dad had been surprised, and James had been nonplussed, but Score's eyes had _shone_ and he accepted her statement with ease and grace, thanking her for it and promising to try to live up to the honour she placed upon him.

Score was a blatant flatterer and Lily adored it. Nobody else knew it, not even Score himself, but Score was the reason Lily had landed in Slytherin – the Hat had had a hard time trying to figure out where she would go, and as it searched her memories, it saw her interactions with her adopted big brother and decided that it would suit her well to be placed with two of her brothers. And oh how Lily had soared! Slytherin suited her extremely well, especially because she thrived when challenged, and just _being_ a Slytherin was a challenge, in the school atmosphere as it had been when she entered. It was still a challenge now, but for a radically different reason – Slytherin was becoming respectable and looked up to, and she worked hard to be worthy of being in her wonderful House.

It was a good goal to have, and she liked to think that she was succeeding.

Finally her brothers reached her and Vrisea slithered off her neck, down her arm, along the ground, up Al's body and wrapped herself loosely around his neck and shoulders, hissing to him and Score both a congratulations. In public Lily called them by their public names – Albus Severus and Scorpius, but the moment she met Uncle Sev and he approved of her, they had both told her she could call them by their nicknames. Really she could do so in public if she wanted to but didn't want any of the implications that would come with it to harm her brothers. People would think it was because she'd landed in Slytherin or other some such Hippogriff shit, when really it was the fact that her relationship with Uncle Sev meant she would never forget who else Al was named after.

Even though it'd been for a much shorter amount of time than the rest of her life – only just over five years, compared to the almost eleven years before she met Score – her brothers had affected her and changed her deeply in the absolute best ways, changes that would affect her for the rest of her life, she just knew it. She loved them _oh so much_.

\- - -

“ _Lily is very creative, she asked me for a way to turn her Parselmouth abilities against her enemies so that they could only hear hissing when they spoke. Of course, I instructed her on how to achieve such an_ _e_ _ffect, but that she even had the idea at all is telling. She is creative and inventive._ ”

Al already knew those things about his sister, but it was nice that her efforts were appreciated by more than just himself, Score, and Uncle George. Of course, Uncle Sev appreciated them too, but he was, well, dead. Vrisea might be a snake but she was a person as well and undoubtedly alive – anyone who forgot that tended to regret it. Parselmouth magic apparently, when unconstrained, granted the snakes bound to their chosen human the ability to work magic all their own, and Vrisea was always vicious when punishing those who slighted her and those she thought of as hers.

Score, of course, highly approved of this, and Al had to admit that he did as well. It certainly made life interesting, especially because Vrisea had a twisted sense of humour. Then again, so did Score and Al, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise. They were lucky that Voldemort had basically made Nagini his slave and never allowed his snake the kind of free will that Albus allowed Vrisea, or Dad would've undoubtedly had a much more difficult time defeating the crazed madman.

Squeezing his best friend's hand, they walked back into the castle and headed towards their room, silent after each of them thanked Vrisea for aiding Lily-bear. This was their last year in Hogwarts, and both of them had decided what they wanted to do with their lives, and were actually already on their way to attaining their goals. Both of them had been studying under Uncle Sev's tutelage and attained Journeyman status with regards to gaining a Potions Mastery – all that was left was either significantly changing an existing potion in some deep way, or creating a new potion, which would undoubtedly take many years to do, as both of them were more perfectionistic than most people were – whatever they did to attain their Masteries would have to be completely extraordinary.

Score had a mind to find some way to make Dreamless Sleep non-addictive and prevent the negative poisonous effects it had being used long term, largely because he remembered nights when he was younger and had woken up with nightmares only to seek out his parents and hear his father having his own nightmares. Father suffered severe nightmares on a regular basis and couldn't count on Dreamless Sleep because it could only be taken so often and for so many days in a row before you either became addicted, got deathly sick, or both. Dad had the same problem too. Mum had nightmares as well but nothing like what Dad did, although hers were pretty bad, just much less frequent.

Albus still didn't know what he was going to do to attain his own Mastery but that was less important because whilst he intended on aiding Score with his business that he intended on setting up, he was going to work with the Centaurs and do Astronomy the proper way. They'd already purchased a home on the outside of Hogsmeade, closer to Hogwarts, so that Al didn't have to travel very far to continue his education. They would both be working out of their home; the basement was divided into a potions room and a room that was a planetarium: basically, it was a wholly accurate depiction of the night sky that would change exactly as the sky did, covering the ceiling and four walls. It could even go three-dimensional and make one feel as if they were standing in the centre of the universe. It could also be changed to any date he wished, in order to view the sky for the days that his potential clients would want seen.

The ground floor was where Albus would see his customers, for whom he would do various star charts and birth charts and the like, and where Scorpius, in the main sitting room rather than the room meant for Al's business, would see his own customers. Neither of them were much too worried about a lack of customers; firstly, most of the people they knew from their time at Hogwarts knew about how adept they were in these fields and had been informed by their parents (mostly to reduce competition for Father's potions) to support their peers in their business ventures rather than relying on a source that would eventually stop whenever Draco retired. Secondly, because nobody else in the entire British Wizarding World did Astronomy the Centaur way and so Al was literally going into his own business unmatched. And finally, because most of the people who went into their respective fields went into already existing businesses, rather than starting up their own.

They would both help each other out, but had decided to do separate things with their lives in order to increase their chances of successful careers.

Ah, but right now really was not the time to think about that. Albus had something important (and scary) to do today. When Albus had realised he was falling in love with Scorpius he had freaked out in a major way because there was no sign whatsoever that Score felt the same way as he did – his actions hadn't changed in the least basically ever since they had met. But after several talks with Uncle Sev, he had realised that just not expressing himself until he was certain Score felt the same way would be incredibly bad for him. Repression of any kind was unhealthy. Uncle Sev had told him to wait until he was absolutely positive he was in love, and then to wait until he was comfortable with his feelings, and then once that happened, to confess. Uncle Sev said that he was positive it wouldn't strain their relationship at all, with a twinkle in his eye that told Al that he knew more than he was telling him but wouldn't explain what that “more” was.

As they set their brooms down against one of the walls in their room, Albus hesitated, before grabbing onto his courage and tugging Score over to his bed. His best friend looked at him curiously and fondly ( _Merlin_ but Score was so fucking gorgeous; graceful and elegant and perfect in every way), and Al spoke up. “Um. I… Shit, this is hard.”

Scorpius squeezed his hand gently and he looked into those silvery grey eyes that held hints of blue in their depths, ploughing forwards, “I'm in love with you.”

The response he got was completely unexpected; Scorpius leaned forwards and kissed him, just a soft, sweet peck on the lips, before pulling back with another fond smile. “If you hadn't made a move before the end of the school year I would have made the move for you. For about a week when you first realised what was happening, you got a bit more hesitant when initiating and accepting affection, so I went to Uncle Sev and he told me to use my brain and _think_ about why someone in our situation would do that, before leaving me to figure it out on my own. It didn't take much figuring out, and when I wasn't upset or worried about it I thought about  why I wasn't and it turns out I've been in love with you probably for years now, and it just happened so gradually I didn't notice my feelings changing.

“So yeah, I'm in love with you too, Al, and it's fine. We can go about this as slow or as fast as you'd like, I already talked to Father – before he settled down with Mother he had several relationships with men, and almost had a couple permanent ones, but then he met Mother and fell for her harder than he'd ever fallen for anyone else. Anyway, I talked to Father and he told me what to do, taught me the charms we'll need for things and told me how relationships like ours generally work. So you don't have to worry about anything Al. I promise.”

\- - -

Scorpius smiled sweetly at his best friend – well, boyfriend now, although Al would _always_ still be his best friend – and awaited his reaction. It was utterly  perfect. Al's green eyes darkened in delight, and the smile that lit up his face was brilliant in its intensity and warmth. His body relaxed and he leaned forward, letting go of Scorpius' hand to wrap his arms around him as he rested his forehead against Score's shoulder. “Love you so much. Thank you so much. I was _so_ worried that you… that you didn't feel the same…”

The blonde young man stroked down Al's back gently and wrapped his arms around him softly. “I know. But I didn't want to rush anything, and why bother changing how I act when I didn't change things as I fell in love? Besides, you have always had more difficulty expressing yourself freely and I didn't wish to scare you off if you weren't ready to admit to your feelings or completely comfortable with them. Although, like I said, had you not done anything about it by the end of the year I would have anyhow; I'm impatient like that.”

His last statement won him a soft giggle and Al looked up at him, his eyes shining with happiness. “I love you all the more for that, you know. We're so much alike but in other ways we're complete opposites. I think… When people talk about the best relationships being where the people involved are two halves of one whole, they've got it wrong. You complete me but you wouldn't complete me without our similarities. Our differences make us fit together, but our similarities make us _stay_ together. Does that make any sense? Like, you're my other half, but in a completely different way to how other people would say the same thing.”

“Instead of being two halves of one whole, we're two halves that create something completely new and unique when we come together. I've felt that way for a while. How can people who are _complete_ opposites stay together? They wouldn't have  anything in common to keep them with each other. But at the same time if people are _too_ similar then things get boring fast. Or well, maybe not for everyone, but it would for me.”

Al nodded firmly, “That's exactly how I think about it. So… Now what? Are we going to change anything publicly?”

Hmm, that was a good question – and one that Scorpius couldn't decide the answer to. As he had just mentioned, Al had far more trouble expressing himself and accepting huge changes to things than Scorpius himself did, so Al had to be the one who made this decision. “Well, are you _comfortable_ with changing things publicly yet? I think we should let our families and Uncle Sev know, for certain, but I really don't mind not changing anything outwardly until you're ready for it.”

His darker haired boyfriend laid down on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Score laid down next to him, linking their fingers together comfortably and rubbing his thumb along the side of Al's hand as he allowed him to think. This would be a huge step and Albus really wasn't fond of bringing massive amounts of attention to himself, unlike Scorpius, who thrived with large quantities of attention. It was several minutes before he finally responded. “I think… I'd rather just get it over with _now_. We still have a few months left here, and by the time we move into our house, the change will be something everyone is used to rather than something new and shiny for the press to play with. At least here we know everyone and they all know about my problems and respect them by now. We won't get mobbed too badly and I know that the attention won't be invasive or too prying because everyone's kinda already expecting it to happen.”

That made sense. “So how do you want to do this, then? Do we want to tell our families by Owl or by using the Room and using the Floo to tell them the news?”

“Definitely the Floo, but Uncle Sev should know first since he helped us get where we are more directly than anyone else. Then your parents, then mine, then Headmistress McGonagall, then our Housemates and we can tell them they don't have to keep it a secret or anything. The whole school will know by tomorrow morning if we do that, and that way we won't have had to do anything drastic to announce the change.”

Score nodded, leaned over, and kissed Al again, resting their cheeks together when he was done. “Everybody is expecting it anyway so we'll handle this with the same grace and ease we handle everything else, don't you worry.”

“I'll never really worry too much when I have you by my side. Let's go get this done with, then.”

They stood up together, and Scorpius thought, as they headed to Uncle Sev's inner sanctum (he wasn’t in their portrait right now), that their lives were _just_ getting started.


End file.
